‘Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. 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. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.’ Philippians 4:4-9 (NLT)
More than an hour after Phoebe had gone to bed at her grandparents’ home, she still had not fallen asleep. She tried everything she could think of to relax her mind, but nothing worked. Finally, she slipped out of bed and went to find Grandma.
“Grandma, I saw an ad on TV about sleeping pills,” said Phoebe. “Do you have any? Can I have one?”
“I don’t have any—and I don’t think it would be good for you to take anything like that anyway, Phoebe,” said Grandma.
Phoebe sighed. She thought Grandma might say something like that. “But I just can’t get to sleep,” she said.
“You’re probably worried about the divorce hearings tomorrow, aren’t you?” asked Grandma, giving Phoebe a hug.
Phoebe nodded. She felt better just having Grandma close. “It makes me nervous,” she said, wishing she could tell Grandma exactly how she felt. But Phoebe couldn’t put her emotions into words. “I’m afraid of what will happen.”
“It’s been bothering me too,” Grandma told her. “We need to keep on praying for your mom and dad.”
Grandma was silent for a moment, and Phoebe guessed their feelings were almost the same.
“Sleeping pills might make our bodies go to sleep,” said Grandma, “but I think there’s an even better medicine for our nerves. At times like this, I know of only one place to go for help.” Grandma picked up her Bible and opened it. “I’ll read one of my favorite passages to you. It’s in Philippians, and I think it will help both of us.”
As Grandma read out loud, Phoebe noticed that the Bible verses encouraged her to pray and promised that Jesus would bring her peace.
Grandma prayed when she finished reading. She asked God to quiet their nerves and give them rest. She also prayed for Phoebe’s parents.
“I think I can go to sleep now,” Phoebe said as she hugged Grandma. “Thanks for reading those Bible verses to me. That was good nerve medicine.”
—ESTHER M. BAILEY
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are problems upsetting you? Where do you go when you need help? The next time you feel troubled, remind yourself that Jesus loves you and is always with you. You can do this by reading the Bible or reciting verses you’ve learned, and by talking to Jesus about all your worries and asking Him for peace of mind. He promises peace to those who trust in Him.
KEY VERSE
THE PEACE OF GOD…WILL GUARD YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS THROUGH CHRIST JESUS. (PHILIPPIANS 4:7, NKJV)
TODAY’S KEY
Jesus brings you peace.
from Keys For Kids Devotional: Conquering Fear