Life was chaotic.  It didn’t make sense.

Even though my family had had always seemed perfect, that picture was quickly crumbling. I was two states away and I couldn’t do anything, but for some reason, I was coping.

My friends in college were continually asking how I was doing.  When I told them I was surviving, they didn’t seem to believe me. But God was sustaining me.  Peace that went far beyond my circumstances had entered into my life and was protecting me. I couldn’t explain it. I couldn’t understand it. But, I was enjoying the benefits of one of the things that God promised. 

In Philippians 4:7, the Bible teaches “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Through that experience, I came face to face with a peace that is bigger than anything I would ever face and stronger than the turmoil I was experiencing.  A peace that gave me strength and hope that life would make sense again. 

Up to that point, I had always experienced serenity, because my circumstances weren’t difficult.  My family was strong, I had answers for all of my questions, my relationships were healthy, and I was living the American dream.  But, when my world began to fall apart, I needed something more. I needed a peace that was stronger than my feelings and bigger than my situation. 

That is exactly what God gave me.

It was if I was standing in a protected room with windows on all sides.  The wind was blowing, everything that used to be rooted and secure was coming out of the ground, but I was safe inside.  I sensed God’s presence and His continual hand on my life.  I wasn’t living in denial; I truly was enjoying a protective peace.

That was the first time that I had experience the Phil. 4:7 type of peace, but I have needed it…and embraced it many times since.  It has always been available to me because it is one of the gifts God easily grants. 

He gives it to me, and he offers it to you as well.  Even when life doesn’t make sense, you can enjoy the peace of God that is bigger than any circumstance. 

Would You Pray With Me?