The Secret of Peace
"Peace, like daily bread, cannot be stored—only received fresh from the Giver."
Based on Immeasurably More by Ray Stedman
Scripture: Leviticus 7:15
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Ray Stedman draws our attention to an often-overlooked instruction in Leviticus 7:15 about the peace offering. When someone brought a thanksgiving offering, the meat was to be consumed on the same day—no leftovers allowed. If any was left for the third day, it had to be destroyed. That might seem like a strange dietary rule, but it reflects something deeper: God was communicating a truth about immediacy and dependence.
Stedman explains that the offering symbolized peace with God, a fellowship grounded in gratitude. The moment someone began to rely on the feeling of peace rather than on the source of peace—God Himself—trouble would soon follow. We all know the cycle: a burden is lifted, peace washes over us, and we think, “Great, I’ve got this now.” But within days we’re anxious again, trying to sustain ourselves with yesterday’s peace. That’s like trying to eat spoiled meat from the third day. It’s no longer nourishing. It’s disconnected from the offering.
Peace is not a thing to be stored; it’s the present fruit of abiding in Christ. We must not confuse the residue of yesterday’s experience with the Person who is our peace today. As soon as we begin to draw from the memory of peace instead of the ongoing relationship with the One who gives it, we drift into independence—and that’s where unrest reenters.
The secret of peace, then, is not a preserved emotion but a living dependence. It’s not about holding on to what was felt—it’s about trusting the Lord moment by moment to work in ways unseen. And yes, He may still involve us in the solution, but not as the source of it. Our role is to rest and remain available, confident in the Risen Christ who lives in us and acts through us.
Journal Reflection – In the Voice of the Holy Spirit
You are not meant to survive on yesterday’s peace. The moment you attempt to carry today’s burdens with yesterday’s provision, you feel the weight shift back onto your shoulders. I am not a memory or a moment you revisit. I am your indwelling Life—present, active, available.
The peace I give is not a feeling to be cherished but a Person to be trusted. I am the One who has overcome the world, and I abide in you. Your quiet confidence comes not from circumstances resolved, but from the presence of the One who holds all things together. Let My peace rule in your heart—not because all is calm around you, but because I reign within you.
The burden of outcome is Mine. When you rest in Me, you cease striving. When you trust Me, you no longer attempt to orchestrate the future with your own wisdom. Even if I involve you in the unfolding solution, you will know it is not of you. I guide you with peace, not pressure.
So today, eat fresh. Don’t store the leftovers of yesterday’s gratitude, hoping they’ll carry you through. Draw near and partake anew. I am your portion. I am your peace. Let Me be to you what I already am in you: sufficiency, calm, rest, joy. Remain in Me, and My peace will remain in you.
Scriptures: John 14:27; Colossians 3:15; Isaiah 26:3; Philippians 4:6–7; Galatians 2:20; John 15:4; Psalm 16:5
Prayer of Confidence
Father, I trust You. You are not calling me to chase after peace or cling to the shadow of what was. You are my peace right now. Christ in me is enough for this moment, and I gladly rest in Your life at work within. I’m not looking to yesterday for strength, nor projecting tomorrow’s troubles into today. I am present with You, because You are eternally present with me. Whatever unfolds, I thank You that I don’t face it alone—I face it with the fullness of Christ who lives in me and through me.
Amen.