You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast [that is, committed and focused on You—in both inclination and character], Because he trusts and takes refuge in You [with hope and confident expectation]. (Isaiah 26:3 AMP)
I’ve had at least three ideas for today’s post. Any of them would be worth exploring, but I keep coming back to one theme: how to remain at peace even in the midst of chaos — even in the midst of battles.
There are so many battles right now. The obvious ones in the Middle East capture our attention because of the scale of violence, destruction, and the endless questions surrounding the attacks. It can be overwhelming, and in a day of deep fakes and AI, sometimes it’s hard to know how much of what we see or hear is even real.
But many of us are also fighting battles much closer to home.
Illness.
Job loss.
Worries about the future.
Prodigal children.
Unjust rumors.
Injuries.
Financial struggles.
The list could go on and on — and sometimes it feels like the battles do, too.
Is there a battle of some sort in your life? Most of us would answer yes.
Yet in the midst of all this, the words of Jesus offer us a place of refuge and peace.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says:
Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. (11:28 NLT)
And in 1 Peter we are reminded:
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. (5:7 NLT)
Jesus also tells us:
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33 ESV)
If you’ve been around church for any length of time, these verses may feel so familiar that it’s easy to skim past them. But I invite you to pause for a moment.
Close your eyes.
Let go of the thoughts that are harassing your mind.
Focus on the messages of those verses.
Take a slow breath.
Breathe out the clutter — the stress, anxiety, worries, and burdens weighing on you.
Then breathe in the shalom peace of God.
Breathe again.
And again.
The very act of breathing is a sign of life. Every breath is a gift from the Giver of all good gifts. The rhythms of creation continue around us — the turning of the earth, the rising and setting of the sun, the steady movement of the heavens. These remind us that God’s creation is still moving according to His design.
When our minds become consumed by the chaos of the world’s battles, we can easily forget the many quiet, ordinary signs of God’s faithfulness that continue every day.
We do not have to be pulled into the chaos of the battles.
We can live in the space of God’s shalom — a peace deeper than the absence of trouble, a wholeness that comes from living in His presence.
One practical step to living in the space of shalom is to quit doing what the world often does: endlessly consuming news and updates. Staying informed has its place, but absorbing hours of crisis coverage can pull our hearts deeper into fear and anxiety. It is usually enough to glance at the headlines and move on.
In many ways, it is easier to guard our peace from the chaos of the wider world than it is from the battles close to home. When children — or parents — are sick, when a financial shock hits, when someone speaks harshly about us, or when conflict erupts unexpectedly, it can feel like a punch to the gut. Those moments can knock us off center.
But even there, God is present.
The Holy Spirit, who lives within every believer, has already placed God’s peace within us. That peace is not something we have to manufacture. It is something we learn to return to — to listen for, and to live from.
Practices such as prayer, fasting, and reading Scripture help train our hearts to turn toward God, to listen for the Spirit within us, and to live from that place of peace.
The battles of the world are real.
The struggles in life press in.
Yet even in the midst of all this, God offers His shalom.
Today, Jesus’s gentle invitation is for us to pause.
Take a slow breath.
Breathe out the stress, the fear, the burdens weighing us down.
Breathe in God’s peace.
Let the Spirit within us settle our hearts. Let our souls rest in Him.
Today is an invitation.
The sun will rise and set.
The battles of the world will continue.
You will breathe.
And God’s invitation remains the same: the space of shalom.
So take a breath.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
And be at peace.
Grace and peace to you today, in Jesus’s name. AMEN.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace (Helen H. Lemmel, 1918)
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens], in whom there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [for He is perfect and never changes]. (James 1:17 AMP)