Spiritual Fruit: Peace

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. –John 14:27 NLT

At times, in the natural world, peace may seem impossible to find. Fear may overwhelm our serenity as the voice inside us is screaming, “Things are not going to get better.” At such times, it is hard not to fear our circumstances. How can we experience peace when we are allowing oppressive thoughts or emotions to totally overwhelm us? We must take courage and trust God, never doubting that He is with us. When our lives seem out of control, we must stop and remember that He hasn’t lost control, nor has He forgotten us. Our Lord goes before us, and He cares about us. So, we ought not to fear the storms that will inevitably come. When the trials in life are upon us, we must trust in the Lord’s peace to calm our troubled hearts, remembering His promise that “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard [our] hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7 NKJV). The Lord’s peace is different from the temporary peace that the world offers. We must remember that God’s steadfast love never ceases. When we place our confidence in our loving Father, we will be blessed with a supernatural peace. The peace He gives will calm our spirits and settle our troubled hearts.