Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.(Philippians 4:7 NLT)

Sometimes as a Christian, everything seems to be swirling around us.  Disappointments and discouragement, financial or relationship problems, seem to be all around us in every aspect of our lives. God has a way of giving us peace that we cannot understand in the midst of the storm.

During Hurricane Florence, the new reports were all over TV.  In one news clip, the reporter could hardly remain upright because of the wind. In less than a half-hour, the same reporter stood in relative calm with the sun starting to break through the clouds. The news correspondent was in the eye of the storm. This is very similar, at times, to walking with God.  Everything seems to be falling apart around us. We are experiencing emotional turmoil, yet, deep down there is a sense of calm or well-being. We should not be feeling this way, but we are. We are experiencing what the Bible calls, “God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.”

Why, as Christians, do we sometimes feel this peace and at other times do not?  Part of the answer comes in the previous verse (v.6).  The Apostle Paul instructs us that we are to pray with thanksgiving. Why is praying with thanksgiving so important? It shows we believe God is the same in good times and in difficult ones.  It reveals that we know that God is still in control.

It is possible to pray and fret simultaneously. God does not cause all our circumstances, but he does allow them. Accepting God’s sovereign will give us peace in the eye of the storm.

I worked for seventeen years as a missionary with Youth With A Mission.  My missionary work has taken me to Mexico, Canada, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Spain, and Ukraine.  I hold a Masters of Education in curriculum and instruction from Virginia Commonwealth University.  [email protected]