Topic: Follow Peace [Joyce Meyer Devotional 22 May 2021]

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Let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ’s] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always].— Colossians 3:15 (AMPC)

Colossians 3:15 in the Amplified Bible, Classic Edition, has been a very important verse to me for a long time. I especially like the way it presents the peace of Christ as an umpire in our hearts. In baseball, there are several umpires on the field and their job is to determine whether players are in or out of the game.

Umpires make the decisions, and they have the final say. If we think of peace in the same way, we see that we can let it decide what gets to come into our lives and what needs to get out of our lives.

Peace is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is one of God’s gifts to those who trust Him, and one way He leads us is by peace. Near the end of Colossians 3:15, Paul even writes that as believers we are called to live in peace.

When our hearts and souls are wounded and in pain, they are not at peace. As God heals us, one thing we notice is that our peace increases. We begin to feel more peaceful on the inside, and we want to do things that give us peace, not things that steal our peace.

Let’s say God is healing your soul right now from rejection or abandonment in the past. He has strengthened you to the point that you want to build new relationships and learn to trust people again. You may meet someone who seems like he or she would be a wonderful friend, but as you get to know that person, something inside you just feels unsettled. Even though everything on the outside may make the person appear to be someone you would want as a friend, you do not feel peace about continuing to develop the relationship. You would be wise to follow peace and choose another person to become friends with—someone about whom you do feel peace. This same standard of making choices according to whether or not you feel peace applies to any decision in your life.

I am sure that you have numerous decisions to make each day. As you consider your options, look for the one that brings peace to your heart and follow that. At times you may feel that following peace means making a decision that does not make sense to your natural mind. That may be because God sees and knows things you do not, and He is guiding you to make the decision that will be best for you later on.

Prayer Starter: Father, help me to follow peace in every decision I make. In Jesus’ name, amen.