Finding Peace
Mercy me, come on up here on this front porch, friend, and settle yourself where the cool, refreshing breeze can find you because this here real rich and steady truth I’m about to share has been nudging my heart like a determined little bluebird that keeps tapping on the same windowpane hoping someone will finally look up. One moment everything feels mighty calm, and the next your thoughts are scattering like a cluster of quail that can’t agree on which patch of grass is safest. That’s exactly why we need the peace of Christ to steady us because without Him our imaginations can take off faster than a squirrel that just discovered the bird feeder is overflowing again. So, lean in close, friend, because the truth we are about to step into is far more comforting than anything this old front porch has ever overheard.
Colossians 3:15-16 is a mighty fine place to hang your hat. It says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” Now that’s about as comforting as finding out the rustling in your trash cans at midnight was not a raccoon plotting a takeover but just the neighbor’s cat wearing a bad attitude.
William Backus once said that misbeliefs can lead us into all kinds of emotional hog‑wallering. And, friend, he’s right. Misbeliefs will have you predicting disaster like a squirrel convinced every falling leaf is a hawk. Our imaginations can run wilder than a possum in a pantry. Fear shows up in full technicolor, surround sound, and 3‑D, and anger ain’t far behind, stomping around like a bull that just discovered someone painted his pasture pink.
That’s why Paul tells us to let Christ’s peace rule in our hearts. The heart is where our dreams, imaginations, and wild mental critters like to roam. If we don’t let Jesus be Lord over that territory, then every emotional raccoon, woodpecker, and jittery jackrabbit will set up camp. But when Christ rules, His peace settles in like a wise old barn owl keeping watch over the whole place.
Then, Paul says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” That there means God’s word should move in, unpack its bags, and start rearranging the furniture. When Scripture fills our minds, it begins to nudge out those misbeliefs that have been squatting there like a family of skunks under the porch. And as we teach, encourage, sing, and worship together, that truth starts soaking into our bones.
So, today, give God both your heart and your mind. Let Him be Lord of your thoughts, your imagination, and even those mental reruns you wish would stop playing. His peace is stronger than your fears, and His word is richer than your worries.
Father, please let Your peace rule in my heart. Let Your word dwell richly in my mind. Help me grow with others as we encourage one another with wisdom. Fill me with gratitude as I worship You in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Now, friend, lean in a little closer, because this part right here is worth hearing with both ears wide open. When life starts buzzing around your head like a confused Junebug that keeps bumping into the same porch light, that’s exactly when you need to remember who steadies your soul. Christ’s peace will settle your spirit in ways nothing else can, and His word is more nourishing than a pot of beans that has been simmering so long it practically preaches a sermon. Let His truth seep into the corners of your heart where old worries like to hide, and watch how gently He clears them out. And as you walk forward, remember that the One who made the forests, the fields, and every wide‑eyed woodland creature is the same One who knows how to calm your thoughts better than you ever could on your own.
With joy,
Gwen
