Daily Devotional
FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: PEACE
March 15 - 19, 2025
Saturday, March 15
The Promise of Peace
By Samantha Rodriguez
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“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”—John 16:33 (NIV)
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When I think about peace, I think about the story of Jesus sleeping on a boat in the middle of a terrible storm. He knew He could rest in the midst of a scary situation because He trusted the Father. He ends up calming the storm because the disciples’ woke Him up in fear of their own lives. Some versions quote Jesus as saying, “Peace! Be still!” (Mark 4:39 ESV).
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I recently realized that the peace Jesus commanded over the storm was one of calming down and coming to a point of rest. This is an example of His authority in directing our circumstances; however, the peace He experienced was one that remained regardless of the circumstances. I can imagine the disciples were astonished with the peace Jesus not only had in that moment, but the peace He constantly exuded. Imagine it! Jesus never feared, never worried, never doubted, never rushed, and most certainly never mistrusted His Father.
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Clearly, we are not perfect which makes us incapable of living completely free from fear, worry, or doubt. But that is why Jesus reassured His disciples in today’s Scripture which we can take hope from as well. Jesus guarantees that we will have trouble in this world. This trouble is not only from the darkness surrounding us, but it’s from our own weaknesses and imperfections as well.
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In the verses right before this, He warns His disciples He will leave them soon. He is not just foreshadowing His death, but He is preparing them for His ascension into heaven after the resurrection. He knew they would fail to have perfect faith or to fully understand what He meant, and He knew that the waiting would be very difficult. Nonetheless, Jesus knew this would develop trust in them and that with the difficulty and the waiting, they would begin to experience His peace like never before.
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To recap, peace from God is not just calmness. The peace Jesus promises us is the result of completeness and security in our relationship with the Father. We know this promise is true because He defeated death on our behalf and made a clear way for us to be reconnected to the Father. It is an incomprehensible peace. It is a peace that remains in the midst of a storm. And last, but certainly not least, it is a peace that comes through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit!
That is what this Scripture hinges upon. In John 14, Jesus talks about the Advocate coming to stay with them once He is gone. This Advocate will remind us of Jesus’ teaching and guide us into all truth as we keep following Him. That is why peace is a fruit of the Spirit, because our reliance on Him will lead us to experience and walk with the peace of Christ! As Jesus said in John 14:27 (NIV), “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.”
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Pause: Have you been living in peace recently? It’s hard to identify sometimes, but take time to truly reflect on whether you’ve been living in Christ’s peace.
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Practice: Take time to talk to God today, maybe even journal your prayer and focus on identifying where you need God’s peace in your life. Remember where He has calmed the storms in your life, and then remember that His steadiness is stronger than any of the storms around you right now.
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Pray: Jesus, You are my Prince of Peace! Thank You for not only promising us peace, but for being the living example of what it looks like to walk with peace. I know I will never measure up, but I know that Your Spirit is strong within me and will help me live in peace even when the world around me is in chaos. I ask that You would help me to deepen my faith, commune with Your Spirit more often, and experience Your peace more strongly as I trust in You. Thank You for Your promises Jesus! Amen.
Sunday, March 16
Trusting God, Receiving Shalom
By Samantha Rodriguez
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“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”—Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)
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If you google the definition of peace, you will see a few different definitions. Some define it as the absence of turmoil. Some describe it as tranquility, calmness, and restfulness, and others describe it as a lack of war. Within Scripture; however, the word peace is tied to harmony and wholeness.
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The Hebrew word for peace, shalom, is the word used in this passage. It’s being used to refer to people’s wellbeing and completeness. Therefore, when Isaiah writes that God will keep those who trust in Him in perfect shalom, he literally means that God will make them complete and keep them whole!
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Think about a time in your life where you felt like you were not whole. It’s not a feeling we normally talk about, but it affects us more than we realize. I think about the daily tactics the enemy uses to make us live in a state of incompleteness. For example, for me personally, a state of not living in wholeness is when I’m so consumed with work or school that I’m overwhelmed by stress and anxiety. This is often the result of me shifting my trust from God to myself and forgetting that He equips and provides for me always. I’m not living in the wholeness He has to offer because the stress and anxiety prevent me from embracing God’s shalom.
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Another personal example was in the last half of 2022. Starting in August, I stepped into the role of Resident Coordinator at my university. I got to oversee and care for residents on my floor while also leading the team of Resident Assistants who oversaw the other floors of my building. Our jobs require us to live in our halls; however, because of some unforeseen construction issues, my staff and I did not have rooms to stay in. This meant our entire fall semester, we had to care for our residents while living off campus. We lived in a hotel a block away from campus for two months, and then we lived in townhouses about 2 miles away from our campus for another two months.
Although we were still able to find creative ways to do our jobs and be present in our building, it was hard to live out of suitcases while being full-time students and managing on-campus responsibilities. I remember feeling like I didn’t have a place to truly call home and experience shalom. Feeling at home is similar to feeling shalom because home should be a place where we feel complete and safe despite outside circumstances. Through this experience; however, God taught me how to find home in Him! In the midst of this season, I found myself clinging to God for strength, refuge, and hope. He held me together when everything seemed to be falling apart.
In today’s Scripture, Isaiah reminds us of God’s promise to keep us in perfect peace when we trust in Him. The decision to trust someone is a decision we must make daily. When I started to trust the Lord with my circumstances, I was able to feel His shalom even as I lived in a hotel room. This is what God’s peace grants us: the ability to live in wholeness because we trust in God—the only one who can truly make us whole. I hope that today, you can trust in God and begin to walk in shalom.
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Pause: When in your life have you experienced peace? What did it feel like?
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Practice: Take time to journal today, whether it be on paper or on your phone, and write out what the word shalom means to you and how it changes your view on peace. Then, evaluate the areas of your life where you need to trust God and, in turn, receive His shalom.
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Pray: Jesus, You are my Prince of Peace. You are the only one who completes me and makes me whole. You have redeemed me from my brokenness. Help me to daily commit my life into Your hands. It’s hard to live in Your shalom because I still struggle with my own imperfections and the world’s darkness, but I know You are faithful. I surrender to You again today. I receive Your perfect peace, Your wholeness, Your restoration, Your shalom. Thank You! Amen.
Monday, March 17
The Peace of God
By Pastor Dan Hickling
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“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.”—Philippians 4:6–7 (NKJV)
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In writing to the church of Philippi, Paul makes an astounding statement regarding the peace of God. He describes it as having the ability to guard our hearts and minds. Now the specific Greek word he chooses to use here for “guard” is actually a military term. It’s a term that could be used to describe a group of soldiers assigned to protect a particular objective from hostile invasion.
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Maybe there’s a bridge that can’t fall into enemy hands, or a city that’s under siege and must not fall. In the course of warfare, certain things must be defended at all costs in order to be victorious. And that’s what the peace of God is for us as we battle our way through life.
This seems so counter-intuitive—that peace could also possess a war-like quality—but it’s exactly what Paul wants us to understand. God’s peace isn’t passive, it’s powerful—powerful enough to protect our hearts and minds no matter what we’re going through! It’s important for us to grasp this because all too often we doubt the power of peace. After all, we see peace agreements and accords fall apart within hours of being made. The peace of man’s making is fragile, indeed, and this can undermine our confidence in the peace of God. We view it as weak—weaker than all the anxieties arrayed against our hearts and minds.
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Again, that’s not only untrue, but it’s a mistake we can’t afford to make. We need to understand the power of God’s peace if we’re to emerge victorious in the conflict that we’ve been called to as Christians. This conflict is spiritual in nature and our adversary, the Devil, is unrelenting in his attacks against us. There will never be a cease fire between the kingdoms of light and darkness. As long as we’re walking on the earth, it will be a spiritual battlefield for us.
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But one of the mightiest weapons in our spiritual arsenal is the peace of God, which is powerful enough to repel any onslaught of anxiety aimed at us. God’s peace is as powerful as His power. There’s no question as if it can protect us. The only question is whether or not we’ll access it. The mightiest weapon in any given war doesn’t do any good if it isn’t used, and we need to see God’s peace in the same way. We need to lay hold of it for it to make a difference. How do we do that?
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Notice how Paul connects God’s peace with our prayers. It’s only after we’ve prayed and made our requests known to God that the guarantee of His peace is given. In other words, we access the power of God’s peace through prayer; by simply and honestly going to Him and confessing our weakness and asking Him to supply the spiritual firepower we need. That’s how the peace of God which surpasses human reason protects our hearts and minds, no matter what we’re dealing with.
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As we encounter the enemy’s attacks and are drawn towards anxiety, may we respond by asking and trusting God to protect us with His peace, which is every bit as powerful as He is!
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Pause: What common misunderstanding do we make when it comes to God’s peace?
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Practice: Reflect on our responsibility when it comes to experiencing the peace of God. Spend time this week in intentional prayer over things that make you anxious and rob you of peace.
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Pray: God of all peace, thank You for loving me and for providing me with Your peace, which is powerful enough to repel any spiritual attack against me. When my heart begins to grow anxious, remind me by Your Spirit to call out to You, to confess my need, and to receive Your protection from your power-filled peace. Amen.
Tuesday, March 18
Peacemakers
By Deb Marsalisi
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“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”—Matthew 5:9 (NKJV)
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This verse is taken from Jesus's famous teaching in Matthew chapters 5–7, called “The Sermon on the Mount.” The sermon addresses how to live a spirit-filled life that pleases the Lord, full of mercy, grace, and love.
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Let’s dig a little deeper into today’s verse. Have you ever noticed this verse doesn’t say blessed are the peacekeepers, but instead it says blessed are the peacemakers? Aren't they the same thing? I don’t believe so, and here’s why . . .
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The Peacekeeper
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Peacekeeping on the surface appears to be a quality Christians should strive for. Keeping the peace applies really well to minor offenses. Wisdom teaches us to pick our battles. However, if one is simply keeping the peace at the expense of resolving an issue or addressing a sinful pattern, then we need to ask ourselves why. Do we do this out of fear of rejection? Do we believe we won't be accepted if we’re not being a people pleaser?
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When we duck away from conflict, we are shying away from a revealing teacher. Conflict can bring to light our triggers, attitudes, and communication skills. It reveals where we’re holding on to sins such as bitterness and pride. It uncovers unresolved wounds, unmet expectations, or our deeply held resentments. Peacekeepers are more likely to suppress their emotions to avoid the uncomfortable feelings that arise with conflict. Uncovering the deeper issues of our struggles and moving toward conflict resolution can produce lasting spiritual growth.
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The Peacemaker
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Peacemaking is a far more vulnerable endeavor. Making peace requires much more self-sacrifice than just peacekeeping. Biblical peacemaking requires the courage to speak the truth in a gentle manner. As we read in Galatians 6:1 (NIV, emphasis added), “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”
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When we look at conflict less from the angle of winning and losing and more from the angle of problem solving, we promote a mindset of unity instead of division. A peacemaker works towards resolving conflict with the aim to provide healing and reconciliation. Jesus promised we would be blessed in our efforts to make peace. James 3:18 (NLT) states, “Those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.”
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None of us can create lasting peace without Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Apart from Him we can do nothing. When we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, He will provide us with all we need to accomplish His will (Matthew 6:33). With His empowerment, we are able to be people who make peace in the midst of strife.
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Pause: Do you tend to be more of a peacekeeper or a peacemaker? Do you tend to be a conflict avoider? If so, why?
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Practice: Read Matthew 18:15–20. Ask the Lord to help you resolve conflict in a godly way.
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Pray: Dear Lord, in order to have peace with others, I must first have peace with You. I confess my sins ____________ and repent. Your Word says if we confess our sins You are faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Empower me to be more than just a peacekeeper Lord. Please help me to be a peacemaker, resolving issues in a loving and godly way. Amen.
Wednesday, March 19
Practicing Peace
By Samantha Rodriguez
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“Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”—Hebrews 12:14 (NIV)
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Yesterday, we reviewed Matthew 5:9 (NIV) where Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” We know that as believers, we have a responsibility and opportunity to reflect Christ in how we bring peace to the world around us. Today’s Scripture reminds us of the same truth, but relates living at peace with everyone to being holy as well! How does this correlation impact the way we are to be peacemakers? Well, let’s look at the surrounding verses first!
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In the first verses of Hebrews 12, it’s clear the author understands the Christian life is full of hardship due to our own mistakes and weaknesses and the world’s darkness and brokenness. We need endurance to withstand these hardships, but we also need God’s peace. This peace is for all believers of Jesus who have been washed by His blood! When we receive God’s peace and wholeness, we also enter into a family of other broken people who have been redeemed by God’s grace like us. If we can remember that, then we can walk together in that peace and grace.
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The author gives us this instruction in tandem with the command “to be holy.” Why would he remind us about holiness after reminding us to live at peace with each other? Well, on our own, it may not always be easy to live at peace with other people. In order to walk in God’s peace, we must be walking with God as He transforms our hearts to look more like His. This is what we call “sanctification” or “spiritual formation.” It’s the process of letting the Holy Spirit change us as we follow God, obey his Word, and spend time with Him. This is how we get to experience the peace of God on a daily basis and, as a result, we get to be set apart for holy use by God. If this isn’t happening, then we cannot live with God’s peace in our own lives or in our relationships with those around us!
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I like to think about it this way. On a sports team, it’s vital for the team to be unified in order to work well together. They may each be different in skill or position, but they’re ultimately unified as a team. What creates this unity? Their purpose and their practice. The team must be intent on one purpose whatever that purpose may be, and they must be committed to practicing and making each other better. This will bring unity and peace to the team! The truth we find in today’s Scripture is encouraging us in the same way.
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Living at peace with those around us, specifically other believers, requires us to be committed to letting God transform our hearts and practicing our faith daily in community with His other children. As we become more holy together, we also receive the peace of God—and that will unite us regardless of our own weaknesses and the world’s darkness. The enemy’s tactics to create disunity and discord amongst us may creep in here or there, but we must remain intent on our purpose of worshiping God together in the way we live and love. We must practice peace because that is how we will live at peace with each other!
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Pause: Have you been living at peace with those around you recently? How so? How can you better practice walking in God’s peace with His body of believers?
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Practice: Practice peace today! Whether it be sharing words of encouragement with another person or doing an act of service despite your tiredness, ask God to show you something you can do today to practice peace.
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Pray: Holy Father, thank You for committing to making us holy! Even though we are so broken, You saved us through Your son Jesus. That makes us holy just by His sacrifice, but You didn’t stop there. You commit to transforming our hearts more and more every day. I ask that You continue to make me more peaceful as I try to live in Your peace and share it with others. Help me to practice peace in the community You have given me as a way to honor You and love my neighbors. Amen.