From the YouVersion Bible App Devotional “Advent, Day 7”
What Is Peace?
What do you think of or imagine when you hear the word “peace”? Maybe you imagine your favorite vacation destination, when the rest of the world seems to come to a standstill. Perhaps your brain takes you to the resolution of a previously chaotic event. It’s possible you even think of a time when you had inner peace, when anxiety or worries seemed to quiet down.
Writers of the Bible sometimes use the word shalom as a way of describing peace as complete wholeness. At its core, peace is a state of wholeness, calm, and renewal between us, God, and others.
This can seem great in theory, but has the potential to feel unattainable when we look at the world around us—especially in the rush of the holiday season. Still, when we look at different stories in the Bible, we can see how God has been our source of peace since the beginning of time.
We’ll take a closer look at different examples in the days to come, but here are a few things we learn about peace as we read Scripture:
- Peace comes when we keep our perspectives locked on God. (Isaiah 26:3)
- Peace fights against fear. (Psalm 56:3-4)
- Peace is a gift God gives us through the Holy Spirit. (Galatians 5:22)
- Peace isn’t limited to the circumstances happening in the world around us. (John 16:33)
- Peace doesn’t always make sense, but it always connects us to God. (Philippians 4:7)
As you look at your life today, peace might feel impossible. It takes a lifetime to work toward peace, but we all have a step we can take today to more fully experience this gift. You might take a few minutes after you finish today’s reading to sit in God’s presence and thank Him for today. As you do, ask Him to fill you with His perfect peace.
Pause and Pray:
God, thank You for the gift of peace. Help me to experience You in new ways. I trust that You are my ultimate source of peace, even when I don’t understand. Please work in the areas and relationships in my life that feel far from peaceful. Bring them into a state of wholeness and renewal with You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
My Thoughts
Even as I type these words, my mind is churning away with a list of things I need to get done today. My bare Christmas tree is visual evidence that I am behind on my chores, but still, here I sit. I am seeking God’s peace to come through to my heart this holiday season. I don’t know what happens at your house for the holidays, but my life is filled with the regular things I have to do, plus ordering gifts for children and grandchildren, decorating (I do it sparsely, but I do it) and running errands as well as medical visits. Whew! Just writing out the list is somewhat overwhelming!
But the real reason for the season, the birthday of our Savior, is not lost on me. So, I tackle one thing at a time and I am thankful for the energy to get things done. They may not be perfect, but they will be done with my best effort for my age and physical limitations.
With the passing of time, I have found that the more I sit quietly in God’s presence, the more likely I am to be organized and cheerfully ready to take on that day’s tasks. I tend to get more irritable as Christmas Day draws closer, knowing that I only have a certain number of days to complete the shopping, decorating, etc. My prayer is always for God to help me to do what I can do each day and He always comes through. His peace seems to envelop me as I play Christmas songs and read His Word. It is His peace that connects me to Him and that helps me keep my focus on Him and not all that I have to do.
Here is a song that I listen to that helps me remember why I am doing what I do these days. I’m not a big fan of the singer and her current woke attitude, but I do like the song and the message to be still before God.
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