~Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
As I read Philippians this morning, I was reminded of the day that Christ became real to me. I never knew true peace in my life up until that day. I realized that my religion did not and could not bring peace because the salvation taught was one that was dependent on me and my actions, my works if you will. But salvation is a gift (Ephesians 2:8-9) from God, which would not be a gift at all if I had to work for it. In fact, Jesus died once for all my sins (Hebrews 10:10) and sanctified me! He set me apart 
By His grace, I am made new (2 Corinthians 5:17) and can now live with a peace that cannot be understood with my finite mind! It’s too great for me to understand but I’m so thankful that I now have peace – I no longer have to think about where I will spend eternity because through Christ I have been saved! I don’t understand it but I believe it by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7)!
It’s wonderful to be able to have this peace – it’s wonderful to have the burden of sin and shame removed from my shoulders and to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4) knowing where I will spend eternity. Not one minute more needs to be spent thinking about it – now that’s what I call peace!!
Living without the peace of God is kind of like living at home as a preteen after you have stolen the cookie jar money to buy a set of roller skates from the kid down the street. You have to keep the skates hidden and watch in agony as your mom searches everywhere for the money. You are ashamed and guilty for what you have done, and you know how hurt your parents will be if you are found out, so you stay silent and try to hide the crime. Then you see your mother crying because there was something very important that she had planned to do with the money, there is the fear that someone came into her house, and there is her own personal guilt thinking that she might have just misplaced the money herself.
Not being able to stand the guilt any longer you come to your mother and father confessing the crime and turning over the skates, you promise to never do anything like that again. Then your mother, seeing your tears and remorse hugs you, your father scolds you, tells you why it was wrong to steal, and takes the skates away admonishing you to never steal again. Then suddenly, seeing the love and forgiveness on their faces, the weight of the guilt is lifted and the burden of sin has passed, things return to normal and you are no longer living in fear.
That is a crude and simplified example of what it is like living under the weight of our many sins. Before the confession you did not have the desire to be near your parents because of the guilt and shame, people living in sin run from God for the same reason. Before the confession your life was a continuous lie, did you see the money? Have you been in the cookie jar? did you see anyone enter the house? etc. Living in sin is living a constant lie, appearing morale in public while hiding our private sins (The roller skates). But unlike our earthly parents, God see’s all of our sins, both public and private. And He is waiting for us to confess them, have remorse in our heart for the things that we have done, and ask Him for forgiveness.
Great devotion Sister Kate, you are such a blessing to me!
Amen and amen, Brother Lee!! That is a GREAT example!