Remain in God’s Perfect Peace

 

Jesus told His followers in John 14:1 (NLT), “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.” These weren’t light or casual words spoken in passing. Think about when He said this—right before His betrayal, suffering, and departure. The disciples could feel the weight of change in the air, and their hearts were unsettled with fear of what was coming. Jesus looked them in the eyes and spoke peace over their storm. These weren’t just comforting words to ease their nerves; they were a command backed by His authority. He was telling them, hold steady—don’t let fear take the wheel. His words were meant to anchor their souls, and ours too. Because life will hand us plenty of reasons to be shaken, but His voice cuts through the noise: trust in God, trust in Me. That trust is what keeps us grounded when everything else feels uncertain. 

Faith or Fear—The Two Responses

Life constantly demands a response, and at the root of it, every choice comes down to one of two things: faith or fear. Faith lifts us into God’s territory—where love, light, and life reign. Fear keeps us stuck in the enemy’s territory—where doubt, darkness, and death hold people hostage. That’s why Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NLT), “So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” Faith changes where we set our eyes—it shifts us from the temporary to the eternal.

God hasn’t left us without a place to run when fear comes knocking. He has given us a shelter in Himself. Psalm 91:1 (NLT) promises, “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” That means His presence is our safe place. Not the circumstances we try to control, not the systems we lean on, not the plans we scramble to hold together. Peace isn’t found in any of that. Peace is found in Him—in the shadow of the Almighty, where fear loses its grip and faith finds its rest.

The Peace That Guards 

Worry is the world’s default setting. It’s what people slip into when life feels uncertain. But God offers us a better way. Philippians 4:6–7 (NLT) tells us, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” God isn’t asking us to figure it all out or hold it together; He’s asking us to bring it all to Him.

Peace doesn’t just happen—it’s a choice, and it flows from surrender. Jesus secured it for us at the cross, and it’s ours to walk in if we’ll lean on Him instead of on ourselves. Isaiah 26:3 (NLT) affirms this promise: “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” Perfect peace isn’t fragile, and it isn’t circumstantial—it’s anchored in trust. It comes when our minds stop spinning and get focused on the One who holds all things together.

God’s peace isn’t weak or passive—it’s alive. It guards us, steadies us, and lifts us higher than fear ever could. When life feels shaky and uncertain, the call is simple but powerful: pray in faith, set your thoughts on Him, and stay rooted in the perfect peace only He can give.  ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“Remain in God’s Perfect Peace”, written by Kim for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2025. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

When It Seems to Be Slipping Away

 

What’s standing in the way of your joy right now? Jesus tells us in John 10:10 (NLT), “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” He came to give us more than survival—He came to give us abundance—more than we can imagine. What God accomplished and released through the ministry, sacrifice, and resurrection of Christ can’t be measured. It’s a treasure too magnificent for words. But Jesus informed us that the enemy works day and night to rob us of it. Though this is undeniable, all glory to God, it’s not the end of the story. The good news is Christ has already won the victory. The question for us? How do we hold on to what our Redeemer has given us when life feels like it’s slipping through our fingers?

Standing Firm in the Battle

Life feels like a battle—because sometimes, it really is. Our merciful Heavenly Father has equipped us to win it, no matter the situation or condition. Ephesians 6:11-13 (NLT) tells us to “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil… Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.” This isn’t about fighting people or circumstances—they’re not our real enemies. It’s about resisting unseen forces of darkness that aim to weaken our faith. We can be confident that God has not left us defenseless.

Not By Our Own Strength

Romans 8:37 (NLT) reminds us, “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” We stand, not in our own strength, but on the foundation of Jesus Christ, who is the living Word of God. The battles of this world are spiritual, and no earthly weapon can win them. In Ephesians 6:10 (NLT), Scripture calls us to be “strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.” This means we must trust the victory that has already been secured through Christ. This is our call—not to give up, but to stand clothed in His armor—truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation.

The Hope We Have in Christ

When life seems to be slipping through our fingers—when we’re bombarded with so many issues that we can’t even catch our breath—there’s still hope. We have received God’s armor and so much more. Ephesians 1:3 (NLT) says, “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.”

So if today you're feeling like you’re losing your grip—on joy, on peace, on that thing you were sure God promised—just breathe. Don’t panic. You’re not empty-handed. You're not alone. You’ve been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. That means strength when you're weak. Peace when your mind is spinning. Courage when you’re too tired to fight. Faith when doubt is loud.

This battle you're in? It's real. But so is the armor. So is the victory. And so is the love of a Savior who’s not pacing the floor in heaven wondering how to help you—He’s already made a way.

So hold on. Even if it’s not perfect. Even if all you’ve got left is a whispered prayer and a shaky hallelujah, God’s grace will meet you there. His glory will carry you through. And when the dust settles, you'll still be standing—wrapped in the power of Christ, held together by a love that never lets go.

You’re not slipping. You’re being upheld. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

 "When It Seems to be Slipping Away”, written by Kim for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2025. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

A Secret Too Heavy to Carry

 

Ever had a secret you carried so long, it felt like it was stitched into your skin? You couldn’t imagine telling anybody—not a best friend, not a pastor, not even a family member—because the shame was just that deep? That was Allison’s reality for years.

During what she now calls her “freedom week,” she finally told the truth: she had been sexually abused as a child. For years she walked around with that weight, pretending everything was fine. On paper, she was winning—28 years old, successful, able to buy things no one in her family had ever dreamed of. But none of that touched the sadness. None of it erased the shame. She kept people at arm’s length, especially men, because she figured if they knew, they wouldn’t love her.

Allison met the Lord Jesus Christ as a teenager, and becoming a Christian brought her comfort—but that pain she carried was deeply rooted, untouched, and unhealed. That changed when Jason, a guy she barely knew, gave her the push she didn’t even know she needed.

Isaiah 26:3 (NLT) says, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” That kind of peace doesn’t come from our circumstances getting better—it comes from trusting God, period. Philippians 4:7 reminds us that His peace “exceeds anything we can understand.” We don’t need all the answers to our problems—we just need to trust God as He guides our path.

When her church announced a singles retreat, Allison signed up. She was tired, spiritually and emotionally, and needed some time with God. Jason had only been at the church a couple months, but he signed up too.

The retreat lasted four days and three nights. Friday was known as “freedom night,” where attendees were invited to share a truth no one else knew—something from the heart and led by the Spirit. When the pastor asked for the first volunteer, Jason stood up. Well-spoken and confident, he seemed like the obvious choice to go first. But his tenderness and vulnerability caught Allison off guard.

He told them he had never met his parents and had grown up in foster care until he turned eighteen. After high school, he joined the Army and built his life from there. Allison admired his openness but told herself she could never do the same.

During the break, Jason sat next to Allison. She told him she admired his honesty. He told her there was a time he never would’ve said a word about his past, but now, “It doesn’t define me anymore. My faith in God through the Lord Jesus Christ defines who I am.” When Allison admitted she was too shy to share anything personal, he looked her in the eye and said, “Whatever it is, don’t be afraid to tell your story. Somebody else’s freedom might be tied to it.”

Those words stuck. Later that night, after the crowd thinned, Allison stood up. Her hands were shaking. Her voice almost cracked. But she told it. She said out loud what had haunted her for years. And when she did, it was like a lock came off her heart. She felt lighter. She finally understood what it meant to be free in Christ—that nothing from your past can keep you chained if you belong to Him. As John 8:36 (NLT) reminds us, “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” And that night, Allison felt that freedom for the very first time.

The next day, a woman she didn’t even know came up to her and said, “I went through the same thing… and hearing you speak gave me hope.”

Galatians 5:1 (NLT) says, “Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.” This is the truth: if you’re in Christ, freedom is your birthright. Don’t let shame, fear, or what people might think keep you in bondage another day.

Don’t let yesterday’s chains keep you from today’s joy. Christ already broke them, so don’t just stand there—walk free. Tell your story, even if your voice shakes. Somebody out there is waiting for the hope you carry. Somebody’s been praying for the words that are sitting in your mouth. And when you speak, you might just watch the chains fall off them, the same way they fell off you.

Because this is the truth—no chain is too strong, no shame too heavy, and no past too dark for the love of Jesus Christ. And when He says you’re free, you’re indeed. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“A Secret Too Heavy to Carry”, written by Kim for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2025. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Why Did It Have to Be So Bad?

 

Years ago, when my childhood friend confronted her mother about the abuse they both had endured from her father, it was like I left my body. I had just graduated from college and was looking forward to spending time with them—just catching up, enjoying the warmth of their home, their company, and conversation. What I didn’t expect was that my being there would somehow give my friend the courage to speak what had been buried deep inside for years.

What started out calm turned quickly to anger, then rage, as she unleashed the pain she’d been carrying. She blamed her mother for not protecting her. And honestly, none of us in that moment had the words. I didn’t have the emotional tools to process what had just exploded in front of me. The pieces of a family—shattered. And there we were, staring at the fragments on the ground, no clue how to gather them, no comfort we could offer that would actually reach her soul.

I’d love to say she recovered. That life got better. But her journey from there was filled with heartache and devastation.

Every now and then I’d hear how she was struggling—caring for her autistic child, battling through a difficult marriage, and later, the grief of watching it all fall apart. She started to retreat. And what followed was a slow and painful decline that none of us could have imagined.

It’s important to understand something. Demonic forces that fuel molestation and domestic violence don’t just want to hurt. They want to steal destinies. And they do it by ripping the soul to shreds—leaving people emotionally wrecked, spiritually confused, and disconnected from who God intended them to be.

Ephesians 6:12 (NLT) tells us: “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

But because many don’t know who the real enemy is, they end up using all their emotional, mental, and even physical energy fighting the wrong things—people, memories, themselves. It’s exhausting and unproductive. Without the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, many victims of abuse live trapped in fear and rage, because those emotions become their armor. And I’ve seen it—it’s a common outcome for those who’ve experienced childhood trauma like my friend did.

Whether it’s sexual or physical abuse, the mental and emotional damage follows you. Some people grow up stuck in survival mode, always on edge. That fight-or-flight state never really turns off. Anxiety keeps them up at night, or depression lays heavy enough to keep them in bed all day. The pain becomes part of their identity.

They struggle with making decisions—especially about relationships. It’s not uncommon for survivors of childhood abuse to choose partners who are unhealthy or abusive. That same pattern replays, over and over, and each time it does, it takes more out of them. They never quite learn how to show up as their full selves, because trauma left them unsure of who that is.

As human beings, we want someone to blame. It’s how we try to make sense of the chaos. And often, when we’re young, we blame ourselves. We internalize it. Shame, guilt, confusion—all of it gets stored deep. And because it’s rarely talked about, we carry these silent questions: Why didn’t they protect me? Why didn’t my parents do better? And if we’re really honest, the biggest question of all starts to rise: Why did God allow this to happen to me?

That’s a hard one. And most people are too afraid to say it out loud. But I believe it’s important to take those questions straight to God. He’s not intimidated by them.

The truth is, our first birth was a physical one—into a sinful world. And that sin, that darkness, came from our own disobedience as a human race. That’s hard to hear. Most people try to distance themselves from that truth. But if you look around, God is showing us clearly what happens when sin goes unrepented and gets passed down from one generation to the next.

Some might say it’s not fair—that God would create us and then allow us to be born into such a cruel world. That parents can be so harmful, and people so wicked. But here’s the reality: there was no other way into this life except through the very circumstances that brought us here. No other entry point. No other parents. No other timing. No alternate version of you. Every situation, every condition—even the horrific ones—converged to give us one thing: a choice.

The choice to either remain shaped and confined by this broken world… or to surrender—completely and fully—to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Only He can heal the shattered soul. Only He can set us free from the torment in our minds and emotions. All He asks is that we trust Him.

Jesus never pretended this life would be easy. In fact, He said the opposite.
In John 16:33 (NLT), Jesus tells us, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

He suffered more than we could ever imagine. The betrayal, the slander, the pain of the cross—it was more than most could bear. But He endured it. He overcame it. And He showed us the way through. Because of Him, we can have real freedom. And the more we walk with Him, the tighter our relationship with God becomes. Even in this dark world, we hold on to the victory that Jesus won for us. That’s why we’re here—to make that choice.

After all we’ve gone through, it’s natural to ask, Why did it have to be so bad?
Truthfully, if those before us had lived by God’s Word—if they had followed Christ’s example—we wouldn’t have inherited some of this mess. They could have chosen differently. And the same goes for us.

But here’s the grace: You woke up today. You’ve been given another day to give God praise. And no matter what’s in your past, you have this moment—this opportunity—to give Him glory. That’s what matters most. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“Why Did It Have to Be So Bad?”, written by Kim for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2025. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.