October 12, 2026
THE PEACE THAT PASSES UNDERSTANDING
One of my favorite things as your pastor is the conversations I get to have with people throughout the week. Some conversations are with church folks and others are with friends and neighbors around town as Bugsy and I take our daily walk. Some conversations are long and others are short. Almost all these conversations are a blessing, but lately I am noticing more than a few of them are about peace – peace of mind, peace in our emotions, a general state of peace regardless of specific situations. While Abraham Maslow wrote about what he called a “hierarchy of human needs,” that included physiological, security, belonging, esteem, and actualization (Maslow, “A Theory of Human Motivation,” 1943), I am of the opinion that peace is at the core of all our needs. We all crave peace.
Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27) but he also said, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33). Is it possible for both statements to be true at the same time? Yes! We all know life can be hard and unpredictable as our circumstances can change in a moment with one phone call, a medical report, a financial setback, or an unexpected crisis (is a crisis ever expected?). The peace we all crave is not the absence of trouble. The peace we all crave is only found in Jesus no matter what our circumstances might be. Peace is not pretending that everything is fine. It is trusting in God’s faithfulness even in a crisis.
Peace comes through practicing the presence of God.
When peace eludes us, it is often in times of perceived isolation. Times when we feel alone and overwhelmed. Times when we forget God is always with us. One of the greatest sources of fear during a crisis is the feeling that we are facing it alone. When circumstances become overwhelming, we may wonder where God is and whether He understands our pain. The psalmist wrote, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging” (Psalm 46:1-3). Notice God’s presence, protection, power, and providence are there in trouble – right in the middle of it! He is there with us so we can have peace even in crisis. We move closer to the peace we all crave when we choose to practice the presence of God – we focus on his presence and keep focusing on his presence until peace comes.
Peace comes when we pray it through.
“Praying it through” is a phrase I learned from my grandfather and others in his generation. It is the act of praying and continuing to pray until peace comes – not necessarily until the situation is resolved to our satisfaction, but until peace comes. There is a difference. Sometimes we pray for solutions when we should pray for peace. Our FCC ladies group recently had a Bible study on Hannah, the mother of Samuel. The Old Testament book of 1st Samuel tells us Hannah had more than her share of troubles – she desperately wanted a child and to make matters worse her husband’s other wife had children and mocked Hannah because of it. “In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly” (1st Samuel 1:10). This went on for years. However, at some point Hannah received peace from the Lord, “Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast” (1 Samuel 1:18). Many of you know how the story ended as Hannah gave birth to Samuel. However, she received the peace of the Lord before her circumstances changed. Peace often precedes resolution and sometimes we need to “pray it through” – keep praying until we get peace whether resolution comes or not.
Peace comes when we choose to let God work.
When peace eludes us, especially in a crisis, the temptation is to attempt to manage our circumstances or even fix the situation. We feel an almost irresistible drive to do something ourselves instead of letting God work. We worry, we stress, we even panic which often leads to mistakes that make the situation even worse.
Jesus taught, “Therefore… do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear... Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? …So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:25-34). Jesus was not encouraging irresponsibility or discouraging wise planning. He was simply teaching us to trust him. In this life there are things we can control, but there are many other things we cannot control. Peace comes when we choose to trust God and let him work in the ways only he can.
Peace comes when we let others help us.
Our local church is one of our greatest resources in this life, especially in a crisis, but we often attempt to handle hard circumstances alone. Paul wrote, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). While we respect one another too much to violate privacy, we must not allow pride to keep us from reaching out to one another, especially when help is needed. Of course, the church is not equipped to fix every situation, but who is? Sometimes we need a friend to listen, to “pray it through” with us, or to simply come alongside. The local church is uniquely equipped for this very thing. You and I were not created to carry every burden alone. Sometimes peace comes when we let the church help.
I suspect we all know the peace we crave is not found in perfect circumstances, financial security, predictable outcomes, or the ability to control every detail of life. It is found only in Jesus Christ. We can have confidence in his character, presence, and promises even when circumstances remain difficult. Your storm may not end when you want it to. Your answer may not come as quickly as you hope. However, you can have the peace of God because Jesus is with you.
September 17, 2026
A PRAYER FOR ETERNAL SIGNIFICANCE
(with thanks to Amy Grant)
Like many of you I find myself mindlessly scrolling through Facebook reels from time to time. Often this is a waste of time, a useless exercise of silly clips, political nonsense, or AI-generated tripe, but when my brain is tired at the end of the day it helps me relax... so, don’t judge. Not long ago I ran across a clip that featured Christian singer/songwriter, Amy Grant and I stopped scrolling (the link is at the end of this article). In this clip Ms. Grant recited a prayer she has prayed daily for the last several years and I hope it will move all of you the way it did me.
Lord, lead me today to those I need and to those who need me,
and let something I do today have eternal significance.
Yes, it is a simple prayer. However, it is profound in that it brings spiritual focus to the day. Our lives are not a collection of random encounters, meaningless interruptions, or ordinary routines. Every day is an opportunity to walk with God, serve others, and participate in his work.
Lead me today…
Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27) and David wrote, “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand” (Psalm 37:23). We all know we need God’s direction so doesn’t it make sense to ask for it? The Christian life is all about following the Shepherd. While we want God to give us the whole plan complete with all the details, he wants us to trust him today, in this moment, just today.
God often leads us to opportunities we did not anticipate. He may put something in your day that blesses you or challenges you, encourages you or scares you, makes you laugh or makes you cry. He might interrupt your plans or change them altogether. Trust him. Follow him. Let him lead.
Lead me today to those I need…
Many of us like to operate solo. We live in the illusion of self-sufficiency. Other people might need us, but we do not want to depend on or need other people. However, Solomon wrote, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).
None of us is self-sufficient and God brings people into our lives who can meet our needs – both the needs we are aware of and the needs we are not aware of. Paul needed Barnabas. Timothy needed Paul. Moses needed Aaron. David needed Jonathan. When God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18) he was talking about Adam, but he was also talking about… you. Paul wrote, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25). Sometimes God answers our prayers by sending someone to us. Maybe someone will teach you something. Maybe they will encourage you. Maybe they will correct you. Maybe they will simply walk alongside you. Ask God to send someone today.
Lead me today to those who need me...
Now turn your attention outward. There are people all around us who need something and God may use you to meet their need. Someone may need encouragement. Someone may need forgiveness. Someone may need a listening ear. Someone may need to know they are not forgotten. Someone may need to hear Jesus loves them. Paul wrote, “…in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3-4) and Jesus taught, “…Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). Of course, you and I cannot meet everyone’s need, but we can meet someone’s need today – doesn’t it make sense to ask God to lead us to that someone? When we help someone we are serving Jesus. A meal, a conversation, a ride, a handwritten note – there are a variety of ways for each one of us to meet someone’s need every day if we allow God to lead us to them.
Let something I do today have eternal significance.
Much of what you and I do in a typical day is temporary. We work, eat, clean, drive, shop, answer emails, pay bills, and complete countless tasks – many without much thought. There is really nothing wrong with these things! However, Jesus called us to live for something greater. He said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…” (Matthew 6:19-20). While Jesus was talking specifically about wealth, he was also laying out a principle: eternal things matter most. Now here’s the thing about eternal things – we do not always see them in this life. Sometimes God allows us to do something that has eternal significance and we will not be aware of it until… well, until we are in eternity. God sees what we do not see – a parent patiently teaching their child a memory verse may be doing something of eternal significance. A follower of Jesus faithfully studying the Bible may be doing something of eternal significance. Sharing the gospel with a neighbor may be doing something of eternal significance. Praying faithfully for a prodigal child may be doing something of eternal significance. An elderly Christian encouraging a younger believer may be doing something of eternal significance. We may never know the full results of our obedience this side of heaven. Our responsibility is faithfulness. God's responsibility is the results.
So, let’s pray this prayer today… and tomorrow… and the day after that...
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CLICK HERE to see Amy Grant's video.