Encouragement for Today
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July 17, 2025 Walk in Perfect Peace |
“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)
The notification lit up my phone. A lump formed in my throat as I reached to pick it up. What if it’s bad news? The words blurred: “A follow-up test is needed because your results are abnormal.”
As my mind raced ahead, filling in worst-case scenarios, a wave of heat flushed through me, and for a moment I couldn’t move.
Then softly — almost without thinking — I started humming an old hymn. “I’ve got peace like a river …”
I needed that peace. So I searched the Scriptures and found Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”
This verse also reminded me of Ephesians 6:15, where the Apostle Paul described shoes of peace as part of the armor of God.
In the first century, when Paul was writing, Roman soldiers wore sturdy half-boot, half-sandal footwear called caligae. Designed for warfare, caligae had thick soles reinforced with hobnails — sharp, embedded studs. These weren’t just shoes for comfort; they were weapons in their own right. The studs gripped the ground, keeping soldiers from slipping in the heat of battle and allowing them to march for miles. In combat, those same hobnails allowed them to trample fallen enemies.
These shoes were essential to a soldier’s survival. Without them, his feet could easily be wounded by sharp objects on the battlefield. But with feet firmly secured, the warrior could move confidently, prepared for any terrain or enemy he might face.
Perhaps this is why Paul tells us to be “fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15, NIV). Our spiritual battles demand sure footing.
The enemy wants nothing more than to shake our peace, so he throws distractions, discouragement, and fear in our path, hoping to make us stumble and doubt. But the gospel grounds us. It gives us stability when life feels chaotic, endurance when the journey is long, and protection when the enemy tries to take us down. It keeps us moving forward when everything in us wants to retreat.
So what is trying to knock you off course today? A difficult diagnosis? A broken relationship? The weight of uncertainty in this world?
This is your reminder that Jesus Himself is your peace (Ephesians 2:14). He has already gone before you. He has made the way firm, and when your mind is fixed steadfastly on Him, He will keep you in perfect peace.
No matter what you face today, you can breathe deeply, trust fully, and walk securely in His peace.
Father, today we put on the shoes of peace, firmly grounded in the good news of Jesus. When situations try to shake our foundation, when fear and anxiety come our way, remind us that You are in control and that Your peace surpasses all understanding. Lead, guide, and steady our feet in perfect peace as we trust in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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ENGAGE
Are you ready to walk in peace no matter what comes your way? Download your free “Peace Perfect in Every Step” Checklist, and discover how to put on the shoes of peace actively each day. This one-page guide offers practical steps and a simple prayer to help you stay grounded, focused, and spiritually prepared — even when life gets overwhelming. Click here to get your copy.
For additional resources to encourage, equip, and elevate you on your faith journey, connect with Avril at www.flowtopower.com or follow her on Instagram.
FOR DEEPER STUDY
Ephesians 2:14, “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility …” (NIV).
Ephesians 6:15, “For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared” (NLT).
What situations or relationships currently threaten your peace, and how can you invite God into them today?
How does knowing that peace is part of your spiritual armor shift your approach to life’s challenges? Share your thoughts in the comments.
© 2025 by Dr. Avril Occilien-Similien. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
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Matthews, NC 28106
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