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)
When my wife Sally and I became the pastors of Springs Church, I knew I had a lot to learn. In response to the pressure I faced, I began to spend more time with God. As God’s Word changed my expectations, I began to develop a great vision for the future. The more pressure I felt, the more I focused on this vision. As the church kept growing, Holy Spirit and God’s Word kept increasing the capacity of my heart to handle what needed to be done.
When you feel stressed out, you can meditate on today’s verse. Imagine Jesus handed you a gift the moment you gave your life to Him. You carefully unwrap the beautiful gift, excited about what you’ll find inside. When you open the box, your heart is suddenly flooded with peace—peace like you’ve never experienced before.
Any worries you had before are gone. There simply isn’t room for them anymore because you’re filled to the brim with peace.
Whenever you start to worry about something, remember this peace that Jesus has made available within you.
Don’t be concerned if you’ve never felt peace wash over you. That doesn’t make it any less real. After all, we trust in God’s Word, not our feelings, and His Word says that peace is a gift you were given. He’s also given you the potential to handle what’s in front of you.
That power is within you right now! As you meditate on the fact that Jesus’ peace and power are gifts you’ve been given, you’ll begin to experience them more and the stress will melt away.
Get encouraging devotions from Leon Fontaine in your inbox every morning.
