Built On The Rock Devotionals

What is peace? Where can we find it, and how can we have it?

That's the question the world asks. We see conflicts all throughout the world and hear constant rumors of peace. Yet even when some form of peace seems to be achieved, it often doesn't last or proves to be superficial. On an individual level, we struggle to find it as well. With everything we go through, peace can seem impossible.

How can I have peace knowing that I have bills to pay and I'm behind on them? Financially, I'm in debt and can't seem to pay it off no matter what I do, and it keeps increasing. What about my health? Or my family problems? The stress and anxiety I carry feel overwhelming, and peace seems so far away that it doesn't even feel like a possibility. How can I have peace when I have so much on my plate?

What if I told you that you could have that peace? A perfect peace that surpasses all understanding—a peace that isn't determined by your circumstances.

Let's look at the story of Paul and Silas in Acts 16:16–40. They were wrongly imprisoned, beaten, stripped of their clothes, and thrown into jail. Their feet were fastened in stocks to prevent their escape. Yet around midnight, they began praying and singing hymns to God. These men had been falsely accused, beaten, and imprisoned, yet there they were, worshiping God.

How is that possible? The normal response would be stress, worry, tears, and looking for someone to blame.

The answer is actually simple, though we often fail to see it that way: they had faith and trust in God. They knew the circumstances they were in. They knew things weren't in their favor. They knew there was always the possibility that things could get worse. Yet their trust was not in the guards, their friends, their companions, or anyone else—it was in God.

If God is sovereign and in control of all things, then they knew their lives were in His hands. And there is no safer place to be than in the hands of God.

They trusted God so deeply that, even in the midst of their suffering, they were at peace and began to praise and worship the Lord. If many of us were in that same situation, there's a good chance we would be doing the exact opposite.

Did not David also praise and worship God in the midst of his despair (Psalm 13)? David wasn't always at peace emotionally. He experienced fear, grief, anxiety, and deep sorrow. Yet he knew that the best thing he could do was turn to the Lord. He came to God in prayer and lament, pouring out his heart before Him, trusting that God would sustain him and give him peace.

No matter our circumstances, our situation, or whatever we may face, the Lord holds our lives in His hands. He keeps in perfect peace those whose minds are fixed on Him, but that peace comes as we trust in Him and seek Him with all our hearts.

God isn't asking us to figure everything out before coming to Him. He isn't telling us to solve all our problems and then seek His help. No, He invites us to trust Him, seek Him, and depend on Him. He will give us the peace we need, and He will help us through whatever we face.

It's so easy to complain, worry, and make God our very last option. But when we do that, we often only increase our stress and may even make matters worse.

Instead, call out to God. Pray. Sing. Worship. Dwell in His Word. Fellowship with other believers. Allow His perfect peace to fill your heart and mind. God desires for us to seek Him and trust Him. Our best option has always been to come to Him first and to come with confidence.

As we do, we build something deep and profound: a relationship with the Creator of the universe—the One who holds all things in His hands, knows you personally and intimately, and desires to fill you with His perfect peace.