Devotion 3: Peace With God

As I was entering the last few years of high school and beginning young adulthood, I grew a fondness for stargazing. I didn’t get to do it often, but when I did, I made sure to soak it all in. One of the reasons I loved stargazing so much was because it gave me a moment to stop, slow down, and experience peace while admiring God’s creation in the midst of a busy life. Today, we are talking about peace, not the peace we get from doing things we enjoy, but the peace that comes from being in the presence of God Himself.

As Paul leads up to chapter 5 in Romans, he makes a few main points. First, everyone is guilty before God. Second, because we are guilty, we all need God’s grace (Romans chapters 1–3). In Romans chapter 4, Paul uses Abraham as an example to show that we receive this grace through faith, not works. That brings us to chapter 5, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). 

In this verse, Paul introduces the peace we now have with God. This peace doesn’t come from slowing life down or escaping responsibilities. It comes from understanding that once we are justified by faith—believing that Jesus died, rose again, and accepting Him as our Savior—our eternity is secure. And that security isn’t found in things that will fade, but in the Creator of all things, who never fades (Isaiah 40:28).

How amazing is the peace we can have knowing that we were once destined for eternal punishment, but are now completely secured in the very hand of God! “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.” John 10:29

So, as you go through your day, ask yourself: What is one way you can experience peace with God? What is one way you can intentionally spend time in His presence?

God is peace. When you spend time with Him, you grow in your ability to experience that peace more and more.