Day 9: Peace That Surpasses Understanding

Read: Philippians 4:4-7

At the beginning of 2016, my family woke up in shock. We spent New Year’s Eve with my cousins waiting for our grandmother’s body to be picked up out of her home after she died from a stroke. This began a long year of attending funerals within our family and the families of friends we held dear.

As I attended the funerals that celebrated the life of others, I experienced other changes in my life: the end of a nearly 3-year relationship and losing my first post-grad job. My worries began to pile up and I started to question God. However, as I read the Bible, I was reminded that I am never alone in my fears.

Think about Mary and Joseph. So much had happened in their lives, all very suddenly. One can only imagine the thoughts going through their minds as they traveled to Bethlehem for the census.

And as they finally found a place to rest their heads, Christ was born. The King of the world, the King of peace was here. The peace that they were promised finally made sense. It was the type of peace that only gives birth to more peace as we lean into God and His promises.

In Philippians 4:4-7, where Paul addresses the Philippian church, he offers several commands. One of them was to remember to rejoice. Another was to refrain from being anxious and to talk with God about the things they are wrestling with. The last bit of information he gave them was knowledge of true peace. The peace he told them about is one that we will never fully be able to understand, but thank God it exists.

Mary and Joseph’s story offers a glimpse into the peace that God so freely gives. Little did they know that their baby would be the saving grace of this world. We can have a sense of peace in knowing that in Him all things work together for our good.

There’s a popular saying, “God will never give you more than you can bear.” This sounds nice, but the reality is that God will in fact give you more than you can bear. This is a reminder to constantly rely on God. He gives us more than we can bear, but it is never too much for Him. Invite Him in and accept the peace He has for you.

When we become hyper-focused on all that is going wrong, we tend to forget about that which allows contentment to create beauty in what feels like an ugly space. Take time today to write out, voice record, or simply think about the lovely parts of life in the midst of what feels like chaos.