September 1, 2006
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The peace of God . . . will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. —Philippians 4:7
I was scheduled to teach at a Bible conference outside the US and was waiting for my visa to be approved. It had been rejected once, and time was slipping away. Without the visa, I would lose an opportunity for ministry, and my colleagues in that country would have to find another speaker at the last minute.
During those stressful days, a co-worker asked how I felt about it all. I told him I was experiencing “peaceful anxiety.” When he looked at me rather quizzically, I explained: “I have had anxiety because I need the visa and there is nothing I can do about it. But I have great peace because I know that, after all, there is nothing I can do about it!”
It’s comforting to know that such things are in our Father’s hands. My inability to do anything about the problem was more than matched by my confidence in God, for whom all things are possible. As I prayed about the situation, my anxiety was replaced by His peace (Phil. 4:6-7).
The problems of life can be taxing on us—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Yet, as we learn to trust in the Father’s care, we can have the peace that not only surpasses all understanding but also overcomes our anxiety. We can be at rest, for we are in God’s hands.
Bible in One Year: Bible in One Year: Psalms 135-136; 1 Corinthians 12
