Philippians 4:7

NASB	NLT	VOICE
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.	7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and mind as you live in Christ Jesus.	7 And know that peace of God (a peace that is beyond any and all of our human understanding will stand watch over your hearts and minds in Jesus, the Anointed One.

Peace Protector

As I described yesterday, peace is described as a feeling of wholeness and harmony. This peace is a gift from God and a promise from Jesus to His followers. The peace from God goes beyond anything we can comprehend and understand. It cannot be grasped by our mind. This peace is a result of divine intervention. It acts like a military guard protecting a city, imagery that would have connected to Paul’s audience. God’s peace is a protector over the emotional and intellectual parts of our being, protecting us from anxiety and fear.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: For the church at Philippi, God’s peace was like a military guard. What does God’s peace feel like to you?  

My Path of Peace

The peace of God is something only accessible through a relationship with Jesus. It’s a gift given to all believers, shown through the acceptance and life of Christ. Following Him is something that has shown me great peace in times of intense chaos. Whether it was the declining health and death of my grandpa to the sextortion incident – peace was found in those moments when I wasn’t sure how to continue. With my grandpa’s death, it was school that kept my peace. It kept my brain focused and occupied on something instead of ruminating on the “what-ifs.” My campus had a counseling office that I was able to use to process the anxieties and grief I was feeling. That semester that he passed was the best semester that I had in school. Peace always surrounded me. The quiet of the campus. The focus on the schoolwork. The ability to stick to myself was what I needed to help me get by.

When it came to the sextortion incident, it was a peace that came from knowing the truth. Many people that knew the story tended to overreact (in my opinion) and misconstrue the events that were told. There was a peace that washed over that said: “I know the truth. I have made my peace with my mistake. I have owned my error. I have sought forgiveness from God. I can rest.” I prayed that God’s truth and justice be revealed. That was my constant prayer throughout my entire tenure there from that moment on. I wasn’t going to argue. I wasn’t going to fight. I was going to do what I was asked. I was going to do what was required. I was going to do it in a way that didn’t make me feel like I was sacrificing who I was. I didn’t have to agree with it, but I did what was asked of me. I felt like my heart stayed guarded. I felt like I grew closer to Jesus than ever before. It was different. I cannot explain it, but we learned: it’s a result of divine intervention. God intervened on my behalf and guided me to where I am today. I couldn’t be more thankful.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: When did you walk a stressful path? How did God’s peace overcome that stress?

PRAY Action

Praise God for his peace. The divine intervention that allows us to remain trusted in him when we’re surrounded by anxiety and fear.

Read Psalm 121:7-8

Ask God how He can show you this peace in your life. It may not be a military guard as Paul’s audience understood it, but it may be something that you can understand.

You are worthy of God’s protection. You are not lesser because of the stress you’re facing.

Philippians 4:7

NASB	NLT	VOICE
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.	7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and mind as you live in Christ Jesus.	7 And know that peace of God (a peace that is beyond any and all of our human understanding will stand watch over your hearts and minds in Jesus, the Anointed One.

Peace Protector

As I described yesterday, peace is described as a feeling of wholeness and harmony. This peace is a gift from God and a promise from Jesus to His followers. The peace from God goes beyond anything we can comprehend and understand. It cannot be grasped by our mind. This peace is a result of divine intervention. It acts like a military guard protecting a city, imagery that would have connected to Paul’s audience. God’s peace is a protector over the emotional and intellectual parts of our being, protecting us from anxiety and fear.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: For the church at Philippi, God’s peace was like a military guard. What does God’s peace feel like to you?  

My Path of Peace

The peace of God is something only accessible through a relationship with Jesus. It’s a gift given to all believers, shown through the acceptance and life of Christ. Following Him is something that has shown me great peace in times of intense chaos. Whether it was the declining health and death of my grandpa to the sextortion incident – peace was found in those moments when I wasn’t sure how to continue. With my grandpa’s death, it was school that kept my peace. It kept my brain focused and occupied on something instead of ruminating on the “what-ifs.” My campus had a counseling office that I was able to use to process the anxieties and grief I was feeling. That semester that he passed was the best semester that I had in school. Peace always surrounded me. The quiet of the campus. The focus on the schoolwork. The ability to stick to myself was what I needed to help me get by.

When it came to the sextortion incident, it was a peace that came from knowing the truth. Many people that knew the story tended to overreact (in my opinion) and misconstrue the events that were told. There was a peace that washed over that said: “I know the truth. I have made my peace with my mistake. I have owned my error. I have sought forgiveness from God. I can rest.” I prayed that God’s truth and justice be revealed. That was my constant prayer throughout my entire tenure there from that moment on. I wasn’t going to argue. I wasn’t going to fight. I was going to do what I was asked. I was going to do what was required. I was going to do it in a way that didn’t make me feel like I was sacrificing who I was. I didn’t have to agree with it, but I did what was asked of me. I felt like my heart stayed guarded. I felt like I grew closer to Jesus than ever before. It was different. I cannot explain it, but we learned: it’s a result of divine intervention. God intervened on my behalf and guided me to where I am today. I couldn’t be more thankful.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: When did you walk a stressful path? How did God’s peace overcome that stress?

PRAY Action

Praise God for his peace. The divine intervention that allows us to remain trusted in him when we’re surrounded by anxiety and fear.

Read Psalm 121:7-8

Ask God how He can show you this peace in your life. It may not be a military guard as Paul’s audience understood it, but it may be something that you can understand.

You are worthy of God’s protection. You are not lesser because of the stress you’re facing.

Next: Finding Perfect Peace in God’s Presence || Isaiah 26:3 || Manna for the Mind #335