July 7, 2026
The notification lit up my phone. A lump formed in my throat as I reached to pick it up. What if it’s bad news? The words blurred: “A follow-up test is needed because your results are abnormal.”
As my mind raced ahead, filling in worst-case scenarios, a wave of heat flushed through me, and for a moment I couldn’t move.
Then softly—almost without thinking—I started humming an old hymn. “I’ve got peace like a river …”
I needed that peace. So I searched the Scriptures and found Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”
This verse also reminded me of Ephesians 6:15, where the Apostle Paul described shoes of peace as part of the armor of God.
In the first century, when Paul was writing, Roman soldiers wore sturdy half-boot, half-sandal footwear called caligae. Designed for warfare, caligae had thick soles reinforced with hobnails—sharp, embedded studs. These weren’t just shoes for comfort; they were weapons in their own right. The studs gripped the ground, keeping soldiers from slipping in the heat of battle and allowing them to march for miles. In combat, those same hobnails allowed them to trample fallen enemies.
These shoes were essential to a soldier’s survival. Without them, his feet could easily be wounded by sharp objects on the battlefield. But with feet firmly secured, the warrior could move confidently, prepared for any terrain or enemy he might face.
Perhaps this is why Paul tells us to be fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15). Our spiritual battles demand sure footing.
The enemy wants nothing more than to shake our peace, so he throws distractions, discouragement, and fear in our path, hoping to make us stumble and doubt. But the gospel grounds us. It gives us stability when life feels chaotic, endurance when the journey is long, and protection when the enemy tries to take us down. It keeps us moving forward when everything in us wants to retreat.
So what is trying to knock you off course today? A difficult diagnosis? A broken relationship? The weight of uncertainty in this world?
This is your reminder that Jesus Himself is your peace (Ephesians 2:14). He has already gone before you. He has made the way firm, and when your mind is fixed steadfastly on Him, He will keep you in perfect peace.
No matter what you face today, you can breathe deeply, trust fully, and walk securely in His peace.
Father, today we put on the shoes of peace, firmly grounded in the good news of Jesus. When situations try to shake our foundation, when fear and anxiety come our way, remind us that You are in control and that Your peace surpasses all understanding. Lead, guide, and steady our feet in perfect peace as we trust in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.—Dr. Avril Occilien-Similien1
How often do we finally reach a state of peaceful contentment and then wish we could hang out a sign that says, “Do not disturb”?
Of course we can’t prevent disturbances or stressful situations, but when they come, the Bible says God can give us peace. “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3). If we turn to Jesus, He will give us His peace. When we spend time talking with Him in prayer, reading His Word, or even just thinking about Him, the Bible says we will experience His promised peace.
At times it may seem impossible for us to remain peaceful inside. Just coping may be difficult. But Jesus is the Prince of Peace and He says, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). So when you feel like hanging a “Do Not Disturb” sign on your forehead, remember that He grants us a special brand of peace—eternal, deep, tangible peace.—Chloe West
Living in peace can be compared to the petals of a flower unfolding in the morning sunlight. The petals of peace in our lives unfold as we learn more about God. We discover that His character is always faithful. We experience His continual goodness. We read more of His promises (Psalm 100:5; 115:11; Isaiah 26:4). We learn to bask in His overwhelming love for us (Romans 8:38–39). We refuse to allow ever-changing circumstances to determine our level of contentment, relying instead upon the character of God that never changes (James 1:17; Malachi 3:6).
When we develop a lifestyle of making the Lord our refuge, we begin to live in the peace of God (Psalm 46:1; 62:8). Psalm 91:1 holds the secret to living in the peace of God: “He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.” That secret place in our hearts is where we go to meet with God. When we choose to live there and hide away under His shadow, staying in constant communion with Him, we can remain peaceful, even when circumstances may not be. When we learn to cry out to Him in times of trouble, we find that His peace really does pass all human understanding (Philippians 4:7).—Got Questions2
Share your problems with Jesus, and let Him carry them.
Job 22:21: Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace; Thereby good will come to you.
Psalm 55:22: Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.
John 14:27: Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Philippians 4:6–7: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
1 Peter 5:7: Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
Keep your eyes on Jesus and His goodness.
Psalm 94:19: In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.
Isaiah 26:3: You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.
Philippians 4:8: Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Hebrews 12:1–2: Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Draw peace from God’s Word.
Psalm 119:165: Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble.
John 16:33: These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
Published on Anchor July 2026. Read by John Laurence. Music by John Listen.
1 Avril Occilien-Similien, “Walk in Perfect Peace,” Proverbs 31, July 17, 2025, https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2025/07/17/walk-in-perfect-peace
2 “What is the peace of God, and how can I experience it?” GotQuestions.org, https://www.gotquestions.org/peace-of-God.html
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