The NIV 365-Day Devotional Reading PlanSample

Finding Peace in Anxious Times

When we were in our late 20s, my friends and I discussed what would help us feel like adults. Some thought marriage would do the trick. Others that parenthood would move us into adulthood. We even wondered if the death of our parents would finally make us feel we had entered the grown-up ranks. But as we got married, had children and mourned parents, we realized that adulthood is marked by something far more universal: worry.

It’s not so much that youth is worry-free—think back to the anxiety you felt over dating, homework, your future. But back then we found relief in knowing that the buck didn’t stop with us. But there comes a time when there is no one else, nowhere to pass the buck. Responsibility rests squarely at our feet.

Once we take on the mantle of worry, it’s almost impossible to set it aside. After all, life never stops throwing curveballs at us: a spouse loses a job, a child is injured, a parent gets sick. The future seems more uncertain every day, leaving us with nagging questions: Are we putting away enough money to retire? How will we pay the mortgage next month? We also worry about the world we live in: What can we do about the suffering we see? Will we ever live in peace with one another?

It’s human to grow anxious about what lies ahead. That’s why Paul gave the people of Philippi a message they needed to hear. They lived in a time of frequent disease, war and famine, so their future was tenuous and uncertain. But Paul wanted them to know that their lives were in the hands of a loving God who would give them peace.

Notice that Paul didn’t say, “God will make all the bad stuff go away.” Instead, he promised believers that God would calm their fears and ease their spirits. He reminded them that they weren’t in charge, that they could safely place their worries in the hands of someone far bigger than themselves and trust that God would walk with them through whatever troubles came their way.

I know a few people who have gone through terrible times—the death of a child, an unexpected divorce, a potentially fatal illness. All of them have said that even in the darkest, most difficult moments, they sensed God’s presence. Their pain and heartache didn’t go away, but they knew God was helping them stand up under it. They never lost the feeling that God was guarding their hearts.

Their experiences remind us that we can talk to God about the things that lie heavy on our hearts. We can ask for the peace God offers. We can thank God for caring, for shouldering our burdens, for giving us comfort and rest even in our most difficult times. Indeed, having a God like this transcends our understanding. All we can do is open our hearts and receive him.

—Carla Barnhill

Taken from NIV Couples’ Devotional Bible