Philippians: And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
This is sometimes a hard one to understand. Peace is what we must carry in our hearts always; in traffic, on zoom calls, with a difficult customer, when we are under attack.
Peace is what Christ offered his apostles whenever he reappeared to them after the Resurrection. It is his gift to us, for us to guard, protect, and live in. If there is peace in our hearts, we have no room for anger, worry, envy, or fear; only love, forgiveness, acceptance, and courage.
If we have peace in our hearts, we live in peace, in harmony with all living beings, humans, and beyond. If we live in peace, in love, we see the world differently. It is more alive. Especially this time of year, plants are greener and more vibrant; people are kinder and lighter.
It is our job to guard God's peace in our hearts first. As we each begin to hold that peace dear to us, peace will grow, one heart at a time. When we pray, we need to pray for peace in our own hearts first; only then can peace transform our world.
"Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me."
April 7
Matthew: Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Mark: Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.
Luke: If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.”
John: A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”
Acts: When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?”
Romans: “Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;
1 Corinthians: For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift?
2 Corinthians: But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.
Galatians: So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.
Ephesians: But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
Philippians: And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Colossians: Tychicus will tell you all the news about me; he is a beloved brother, a faithful minister, and a fellow servant in the Lord.
1 Thessalonians: For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness.
1 Timothy: Have nothing to do with profane myths and old wives’ tales. Train yourself in godliness,
2 Timothy: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Hebrews: again he sets a certain day—“today”—saying through David much later, in the words already quoted, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”
James: Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
1 Peter: The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers.
1 John: Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
Revelation: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with a face like a human face, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle.