13 February 2023
‘The Lord blesses his people with peace.’ Psalm 29:11 NIV
Everybody wants peace of mind. Whether you’re a businessperson facing the pressure of deadlines, a homemaker trying to round up kids, or a student trying to make it through the university term, everyone wants peace of mind. But most of us experience more stress than peace. How acquainted are you with stress? One author writes: ‘Here is a little quiz. Complete each of these sentences with the appropriate word: “I am ready to throw in the…I am at the end of my…I am just a bundle of…My life is falling…I am at my wits’…I feel like resigning from the human…” How did you do? If you answered, “towel, rope, nerves, apart, end, and race,” give yourself an A+.’ Most of us have muttered these words so often that they’re almost second nature. Stress is a regrettable fact of life in our contemporary world. Sales of sedatives are at an all-time high, and books on peace of mind become immediate best-sellers. We are warned that too much stress is unhealthy. So what else is new? We have understood that for centuries. Thousands of years ago, Solomon wrote, ‘A heart at peace gives life to the body’ (Proverbs 14:30 NIV). We know about stress, but where can we go to find peace? To God! Take a moment and read these two promises: 1) ‘The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.’ 2) ‘Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace’ (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT).
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