The Peace of God and the God of Peace

And the God of peace will be with you. (Phil. 4:9)

I am not unfamiliar with anxiety. It has been a part of my life for almost as long as I can remember, but it has just been within the last few years that I have been able to really name it. I have taken many steps to help me face this aspect of my life.

For me, one of those steps has been to memorize this passage so that when I begin to feel anxious I do exactly what Paul said: I pray, I praise, and I present. There is a promise within these words that I am reminded of when I follow these steps and recite these verses. Paul said that when we focus on Christ, when we choose to pray and praise and to think about things that are true, noble, right, and so on, that the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds and that God of peace will be with us. We will experience both the peace of God and the God of peace.

In a world where peace can seem illusive and fleeting, it can be easy to read this passage and long for just peace. However, we are promised something even better. As believers, we are promised God’s peace and God’s presence, and this promise produces a hope that does not waver. I pray you experience this peace in your life.

Spend some extended time with these verses and ask God for peace.

Deborah Rhodes is the colead pastor of Parkside Church in Greenville, South Carolina. She is passionate about studying and teaching God’s Word.