13 February 2023
‘The Lord blesses his people with peace.’ Psalm 29:11 NIV
Everybody wants peace of mind. Whether you’re a student facing the pressure of coursework deadlines and exams, a parent trying to do your best for your young child, or a new employee wanting to make a good impression at your first job, everyone wants to feel at peace. But most of us experience more stress than peace. How well do you know 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+.’ Many of us have said or thought phrases like these so often that they’re almost an automatic response in our minds. Sadly, stress is a fact of life in our contemporary world. Things seem more complicated, faster paced, and more pressured, while modern life brings new challenges, concerns, and risks. We’re warned that too much stress is unhealthy. But the Bible has known 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? There’s one certain, unfailing answer: to God! Take a moment to 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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