Growing a Peaceful HeartSample
Your Father Knows
Suzy watched the children at play. It resembled a type of dance. They seemed to move to a melody she couldn’t hear, a cadence not unlike a waltz.
A couple of maidens wore pink ballerina outfits. Others were decked in shades of yellow, gold, purple, and rose, every gown suitable for Cinderella’s ball. Surely, Suzy thought, these young ladies belong to the same family. Their garments speak of a single designer, someone who gave meticulous care to their creation.
Suddenly, she felt the caress of a breeze. The damsels twirled and curtsied. A grand ending. And, for Suzy, it was a finale because she realized the dance of the pansies in her flower bed had just offered her a type of melody for her heart.
It’s so easy to be caught up in the pressures of life. We worry about the future and relive the failures and disappointments of the past. Sometimes the two collide and bring us to a type of anxiety or depression we hate to even admit to.
Thankfully, our heavenly Father is not only aware, but offers an answer. He says not to worry about our lives. In Matthew 6:25–34, Jesus gave examples of our worry patterns regarding what we shall eat, drink, or wear and, of course, other passages speak to additional worries that seem to consume us.
Jesus then pointed the believer to the birds and the lilies. Birds don’t sow, reap, or store food, but our heavenly Father feeds them. Lilies don’t labor or spin, yet God dresses them far better than King Solomon.
When anxiety tried to overwhelm Suzy that day, God simply drew her outside to pansies in the flower bed. Watching His creation at play reminded her of those relevant words. Yes, our heavenly Father knows and beckons us to seek His kingdom first and trust He will give us what we need. Then we’ll have inner peace.
Today’s Peace Step: Take a time-out to enjoy God’s creation. Allow the Lord to speak to you through His world and His Word.
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About this Plan
Encouraging stories and tips from people who faced conflicts, struggles, and relational problems as they found peace or became peacemakers. You’ll realize that peace is not an absence of conflict. It’s an abiding trust in God combined with your choices and prayers to maintain peace in the midst of struggles and difficulties. The end of each devotional offers you a challenge and encourages you to find and share peace.
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