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September 9, 2021
Scripture
Devotion
We live in a sinful, broken world that is full of evil. It’s easy to come undone. It’s easy to lose control and break down. There’s temptation to get nervous and anxious, to get fearful and fainthearted, and to get angry and exasperated. In many of the situations of life that arise, no one will blame you for coming apart at the seams. We’ve all been there—we’ve all been pushed to the limit.
The promise of our verse for today, however, is of a way of being in this broken world that does not seem to belong to this world. It’s a way of being that comes from a better place; that comes from heaven above. The promise is that God will keep us in perfect peace. The promise, then, is not just for ordinary peace, but for “perfect peace.” The peace that the Apostle Paul said exceeds anything that we can understand (Philippians 4:7).
Although peace is a gift that belongs to all of God’s people (John 14:27), it requires something on our part in order to fully manifest in our lives. It requires that we trust in God. You can’t have perfect peace without a strong trust in God. The specifics of the situation will get to us if there is no faith that God is in control.
If we are to have a strong trust in God, then we can’t allow situations to run away with us. At some point we must turn from them and fix our thoughts on God. We must turn from the turmoil and focus our attention on Him. We must boldly come before the throne of our gracious God that we may receive help in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).
To be kept in perfect peace does not mean that we are unmoved by the situation, like a Stoic philosopher who refuses to allow emotion of any kind to sweep over him. It means, rather, that no matter what happens there is a peace to the person of faith that can’t be explained in human terms.
Whatever you may be facing today, turn from it for a moment and fix your thoughts on God, trust in Him, and let His perfect peace rise up in your souls.
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