The Priority of Peace
“When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” Proverbs 16:7 (NKJV)
You can have everything this world offers. You can have money, fame, power, possessions, and still lose the one thing that matters most: peace.
Solomon started well. He was humble, generous, and hungry for God. When given the chance to ask for anything, he did not request wealth or victory or fame. He asked for wisdom to serve others. And because his heart was in the right place, God poured out blessings on him in unimaginable ways. His income alone would have made him the wealthiest man alive today. He lived in a golden world, literally. Cups, thrones, footstools, stables, palaces, even his bodyguards, all of it was extravagant.
But then came compromise. Solomon did not suddenly walk away from God. It was slow. A marriage here, a little idolatry there. A thousand relationships later, his palace was filled with false gods, and his heart was no longer fully devoted to the Lord. That is when the shift happened. Scripture says that Solomon had rest all around him. But later, we find him in his bedroom, no longer at peace, no longer secure. Sixty elite bodyguards, warriors trained from birth, surrounded his bed at night. Swords drawn. Why? Fear. Not from outside armies, but from within. The same man who once slept peacefully under divine favor now lived tormented, paranoid, and restless.
That is what sin does. It promises more. More pleasure, more control, more security. But it always delivers less. It eats away at your soul until you are left hollow, afraid, and desperate for protection that money cannot buy. So ask yourself, what are you trading for your peace? A relationship you know is not honoring God? A business shortcut? A secret compromise? The slow drift from God never looks dangerous at first. But then you wake up surrounded by guards and still cannot sleep.
The good news is that God is merciful. He did not abandon Solomon in a moment. And He has not abandoned you. But peace does not come from more. It comes from surrender.
Peace is found in obedience. It is found when your ways please the Lord. Go back to the place of rest.
Return to the bed where God woke you up with purpose, not fear. Choose peace over prosperity. Choose obedience over indulgence. And the God of peace will guard your heart, not with swords, but with His Spirit.
Prayer: “Lord, help me not to chase the world and lose my peace. Bring me back to you. Let my ways please you, so I may rest again in your presence. Amen.”
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