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Bible Reading Plan

Reading Plan: 1 Peter 5:6-11

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

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Daily Devotional: Peace Is Not Too Far Away

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 very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

John 16:7

What word would you use to describe the news? Disturbing? Violent? Fear-evoking? I bet peaceful isn’t on the list. Our world is broken. Everywhere we look, we see disappointment, harm, and suffering.

In John 14:27, Jesus says, “I do not give to you as the world gives.” Thank goodness! My heart couldn’t take it. Instead, Jesus sends the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to come close and give rest to an anxious heart.

After I graduated from college, I taught English abroad in Santiago, Chile. My host family lived on the outskirts of town. To attend an English-speaking church on Sundays, I had to catch a bus to the city, stuff myself on the crowded subway, and walk the remaining blocks alone. The whole trip took about an hour.

Getting on that bus was scary. I was alone in a foreign country, surrounded by a language I barely understood and at the mercy of wherever the bus driver went. I used to imagine Jesus getting on the bus with me, sitting there with His peaceful presence. A new calm set over me. I wasn’t alone; Jesus was there.

In the days leading up to the crucifixion, the disciples were understandably grieved that their beloved teacher was leaving. They had heard His voice and walked beside Him. To the disciples, going away meant Jesus would be gone forever.

While the physical version of Jesus was departing, His presence was settling in for the long haul. In John 16:7, Jesus says, “It is for your good that I am going away.” Jesus was sending His Holy Spirit to reside with His followers. Human Jesus could only be in one place at one time, but His Spirit is with each of His followers all of the time—what a gift!

Followers of Jesus don’t have to muster up peace themselves. Peace is already with them, living in their hearts. Our attention will naturally turn to our worries rather than to our promised peace. Instead, we need to intentionally focus on God, remember His Advocate is living within us, and He is stronger than anything that might happen in our physical world.

Next Steps

What is troubling you? Spend time in prayer, giving your worries to God. Next time you feel the anxiety bubbling in your heart, remember you are not alone. God is with you right where you are.