Strength and Peace


Uncontrollable circumstances can often leave you numb as your world spins in directions you never imagined. They leave you feeling weak, helpless, undervalued and worried. All of that is certainly understandable as you try to handle life on our own. But, we were not designed to handle such stress personally and individually. The Psalmist wrote:

The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace. (Psalm 29:11)

God provides strength when you are physically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually weak. He gives you peace even in the midst of chaos. Jesus told His disciples:

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27)

We associate peace with a sense a calmness like the still waters pictured here, but it's when the waves are crashing in on us that we truly know whether Christ's peace indwells us. True peace comes from what's inside and not from what's happening to us on the outside.

My prayer for you is the same one that Paul prayed over the Christian church in Rome:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him. (Romans 15:13a)

Blue Ridge Parkway

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