Disobedience Leads to Detour

Kevin Burrell on November 26, 2025

 

The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years. For they had disobeyed the Lord. 

Joshua 5:6

 

DISOBEDIENCE LEADS TO DETOUR

Earlier this year while traveling, I inadvertently hit a pothole while driving on the interstate around Atlanta. Within a day or two, I noticed my vehicle begin pulling sharply to the left. Unfortunately, the front end of my vehicle was out of alignment. Ignoring the problem would have only exacerbated the issue and affected the journey to my final destination.

When God led Israel out of Egypt, the Promised Land was not far away. An estimated 11 to 14 day journey took 40 long years.

Why? How? The distance was short, but their heart condition was far from ready. God was not simply taking them to a place; he was shaping them into a people. The wilderness delay was not about miles; it was about mindset. Not about geography; it was about spiritual maturity.

So why did a two week journey take 40 years?

1) Disobedience Toward God

God gave clear instructions for their good; Israel continually chose their own way. Disobedience always leads away from destiny, never toward it. Their unwillingness to obey created a cycle of wandering that God never intended.

Lesson: Obedience is not punishment; it is protection.
Every act of obedience moves us one step closer to God’s best. Every act of disobedience only detours us farther into wilderness seasons.

2) Worshipping False Idols

From the golden calf to adopting pagan practices, Israel often traded the living God for lifeless substitutes. Idolatry isn’t just bowing to statues; it’s putting anything above God.

Lesson: Idols still exist today—often not made of gold but shaped like ambition, relationships, pride, addiction, money, or material possessions. Anything we place our trust in more than God becomes the idol that delays our promise.

3) Lack of Faith in God

Israel heard the promises of God, but fear drowned out their faith. Standing on the edge of Canaan, the spies saw giants instead of God’s greatness. They believed the problem more than the promise. God would not part the waters of the Jordan River until their feet stepped into the water (Joshua 3:13).

Lesson: Faith is not believing God “can,” but believing God “will,” even when circumstances contradict what we see. Unbelief builds walls where God is opening doors. God rarely acts until you first step out in faith. Make the step.

Listen closely: Disobedience carries consequences. A journey that should have taken two weeks took decades because hearts were not aligned with God. Yet God remained faithful, patient, and present—guiding, providing, and shaping his people.

Lean into the following takeaways for your life. Whatever you do, prioritize:

  • Faith over fear

  • Obedience over stubbornness

  • Worshipping God over idols

Your Promised Land is not only a place; it’s the posture of your heart. Therefore, ruthlessly guard your heart. God will bless and honor your obedience. He stands ready to lead you to your Promised Land if you will trust him fully, follow him humbly, and worship him wholeheartedly.

 

Love God. Love people. Live sent.

Be Worth Being.

Kevin

 

 

Kevin Burrell has worked in professional baseball as both a player and MLB scout for the past 44 years, and currently serves as an area scouting supervisor. Kevin was drafted in the 1st round of the 1981 free agent amateur draft (25th selection overall), and played ten years of professional baseball with four different organizations. He and his wife, Valerie, live in Sharpsburg, Ga.

Digging Deeper – God Gives Different Answers

Avatar photo Chris Boggess on November 26, 2025

 

“For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.”

Psalm 84:11 (NLT)

 

A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. 2 This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. 3 So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.”

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”

When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

John 11:1-3; 21-22; 32 (NLT)

 


GOD GIVES DIFFERENT ANSWERS

I don’t know about you, but when I ask for something in prayer, I usually have a pretty good idea of what that answer will look like. My brain has already done the hard work for God and worked out all the details. There is no need for God to do anything but act. What I fail to take into account is that God is not trying to tell the world (and me) the story of “Chris.” God is telling his own story by how he works in the world and in our lives.

Take the story of Lazarus’s resurrection. Mary and her sister Martha knew exactly how God should work in their brother’s sickness. They had seen the formula time and again in Jesus’s ministry: Jesus shows up, and the sick are healed. The problem for them is that Jesus is telling a bigger story.

I love that when we read the two sisters’ greeting to Jesus, they use the same phrase: “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.” I think they had said this to each other repeatedly in the days after Lazarus’s death. It seems like a practiced statement. Mary, the emotionally passionate of the two sisters, throws herself at Jesus’s feet in despair and anguish. But Martha, who gets labeled as the less spiritual sister because of the Luke 10:38–42 account (take a second and flip over to it if you don’t know what I am talking about), seems to imply in her greeting that she knows Jesus has something in mind: “I know that God will give you whatever you ask.” And Jesus tells her what he is about to do, though she doesn’t quite understand the scope of his word in the moment.

When we pray, we must do so with the understanding that the story being told in our lives is God’s, not ours. When we get a different answer than we expected, when we wait and wait for God to move, or when we get a firm no from God, we have to trust that God is doing something to further his own story, and we can trust that the story is good.

Take a moment now and pray. Ask God to use you to tell his story. Ask him to do the things in your life that will bring him glory, because that is a prayer we can trust he will always answer with a “yes.”

Chris Boggess is the Next Generation/Family Pastor at NorthStar Church. He grew up in St. Albans, West Virginia, and still cheers for the Mountaineers. He and his wife, Heather, have two grown children and one granddaughter.

Digging Deeper – Fruit in Season

Avatar photo Chris Boggess on November 25, 2025

 

“But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”

Luke 1:20 (NLT)

 

Oh, the joys of those who do not
    follow the advice of the wicked,
    or stand around with sinners,
    or join in with mockers.
 They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
    bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
    and they prosper in all they do.

Psalm 1:1-3 (NLT)

 


FRUIT IN SEASON

There is a tree that grows in the desert in Israel that is known as the acacia. These are trees with deep roots that grow near desert waterways known as wadis. Most of the time, acacia trees look dead. Anyone passing by would see a lifeless tree, a gnarled stick coming up from the rocks and sand of the desert floor. They can stand seemingly dormant for many years. Then the rains come to the highlands, and water rushes suddenly down the wadi where the tree grows. And it comes to life! Leaves sprout, and the tree that seemed lifeless becomes the picture of health and vigor.

When we read Psalm 1, we might read “bearing fruit each season” as representing a specific cycle of renewal and flourishing. We think of Georgia seasons, with predictable cycles. But for the acacia tree, the season is when the water comes, and that is when God sends the rain. Some acacia trees spend years waiting for the water to flow, and the seeds can wait for centuries.

God’s answers to our prayers will happen “at the proper time.” We like things to happen in our time. If Google gave us answers “at the proper time,” no one would use it. God is not Google. Sometimes we have to wait.

While the tree waits, it sends its roots deeper, because when the water comes, it is often a full-on flood, washing everything in its path away. The deep roots sustain it in the dry times, seeking the water deep beneath the surface. And they anchor it when the rain comes rushing so it can hold its ground.

So while you wait for God’s timing, live out verse 2 of the psalm: “But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.” Sink your roots deep in God’s word. Those roots will sustain you while you wait for answers from God. And those roots that you sink deep into Scripture will anchor you when God answers.

Take some time today to open up and meditate on God’s word. Sink your roots deep while you wait for God’s season.

 

Chris Boggess is the Next Generation/Family Pastor at NorthStar Church. He grew up in St. Albans, West Virginia, and still cheers for the Mountaineers. He and his wife, Heather, have two grown children and one granddaughter.

Digging Deeper – Taking No for an Answer

Avatar photo Chris Boggess on November 24, 2025

 

“What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.”

James 4:1-4 (NLT)

 

“And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.”

1 John 5:14-15 (NLT)

 


TAKING NO FOR AN ANSWER

The first recorded use of the phrase “Don’t take no for an answer” was in the book My Early Life by Winston Churchill, published in 1930. But the sentiment behind the phrase is as old as humanity. The Bible barely gets three chapters in before we find Adam and Eve deciding that they won’t take no for an answer. And this is where the problem lies. Sometimes “no” is the best answer.

There is a strange book by Flann O’Brien called The Third Policeman. Brian O’Nolan actually wrote the book, but that isn’t important here. The book is odd, but it does have a few interesting conversations. One of them is with a character who has decided that “No is a better word than yes.” The man had looked at his life, weighed his sins, and realized that his “yesses” had led to them. He decided that if he wanted to avoid sin, he must always answer “no.” Since he couldn’t know the outcome of saying yes, he avoided the consequences by always saying no.

I would agree with him that many of my past sins were the result of a “yes” that should have been a “no.” However, some of the greatest joys in my life have come from “yesses.” I said “yes” on my wedding day, and that continues to pay off in my favor. I said “yes” to the offer of salvation and will have eternity to appreciate the outcome of that “yes.” The problem is not the answer I give but my finite wisdom that informs it.

God, however, sees all the proper outcomes, so we can trust that he not only knows what the result of his “yes” or “no” will be, but also sees the heart that is asking and our motives. With those two things in mind, we can trust our loving Father to give us the right answer, as we see him do over and over again in Scripture. Then we can trust and take “no” for an answer.

Take a few moments today, pray, and ask God to give you the peace to take no for an answer from him. Ask him to show you clearly the places where your heart needs to change. Ask him to renew your trust that he is doing the right thing, and ask him to guide you to the right thing too.

 

Chris Boggess is the Next Generation/Family Pastor at NorthStar Church. He grew up in St. Albans, West Virginia, and still cheers for the Mountaineers. He and his wife, Heather, have two grown children and one granddaughter.

Digging Deeper: A Family of Peace

Avatar photo Sellers Hickman on November 21, 2025

 

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Colossians 3:12-15 (ESV)


A FAMILY OF PEACE

 

Every family wants to experience peace, but not every family understands where peace actually begins. We usually think peace comes from having fewer problems, better communication, or more time together. Each of these things is helpful, but Scripture gives us a different starting point. Peace is not something we manufacture; it is a reality we receive from Christ and then learn to practice with one another.

Colossians 3:12-15 is a passage that is often applied to churches, but it is just as essential for families. Why? Because the family is the first community God places us in. It is the first classroom where we learn forgiveness, practice patience, and form our instincts. If Colossians 3 describes the life of God’s people, then the home is where those verses take root most personally and most deeply.

The family is where we first learn our identity in Christ. Paul begins by saying, “God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved.” Ultimately, before he tells us what to do, he tells us who we are. This is the same for families. As a College Pastor, I spend countless hours listening to students wrestle with identity: feelings of insecurity, fear of failure, uncertainty about their worth. As I dig into those struggles, many of them trace back to childhood wounds, misunderstandings, or the atmosphere they grew up in. But identity issues are not limited to parent-child relationships. A home cannot be a place of peace if husbands and wives forget who they are in Christ. For all of these relationships to thrive, we must remember: “I am chosen. I am loved. I am set apart by God.”

Paul then moves to how we should clothe ourselves with the attributes of God. Clothing is intentional. You choose it every day. Think of a toddler picking out their outfit… sometimes it matches, sometimes it does not. But there is still intention behind every decision. In the same way, we must intentionally put on these attributes of Christ each day. But how do these virtues play out in the home?

  • Compassion: See each other’s weariness instead of just their mistakes.

  • Kindness: Speak with warmth, not sharpness.

  • Humility: Listen rather than insist on being right.

  • Gentleness: Correct without crushing someone’s spirit.

  • Patience: Give one another space for growth without pressure.

If these virtues are not practiced in the family, where will they be practiced? If they are not displayed in the home, where will they be displayed? The family is God’s training ground for Christlike character.

Paul adds that we should bear with each other and forgive as the Lord has forgiven us. This can be hard to put into practice in any relationship, but we are naturally in the best environment to do this with family. If we refuse to bear with someone or forgive them, the world would tell us to cut them off and leave them. That may be easy to do with friends, coworkers, or acquaintances, but it is much harder to cut off family. So what can we learn from this? That we will be in it with these people for the long haul. That means we must have long-game vision to see that not everything has to be fixed in a day. We should choose to forgive and bear with those God has placed in our family.

Finally, Paul talks about love binding us together. It is that old adage: “You do not have to like each other, but you are going to love each other.” This deep, self-giving love is what keeps relationships alive. We should be people marked by love and filled with peace. Such peace should rule our hearts and our lives so that we become people of peace within our own families.

This holiday season, how can you increase the peace within your own household? This is not the time to point the finger at somebody else: “Well, if my kid would just… If my spouse would just… If my family would just…” No. How can you increase peace this holiday season? I encourage you during the week of Thanksgiving (and Christmas) to wake up each day and read Colossians 3:12-15 again. Pray that God will fill you with these virtues and that it will be evident that you are choosing peace.

 

Sellers Hickman serves as College & Teaching Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their two daughters. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.

 

Digging Deeper: Peace is a Proactive Pursuit

Avatar photo Sellers Hickman on November 20, 2025

 

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

Matthew 5:9 (ESV)


PEACE IS A PROACTIVE PURSUIT

 

Everyone says they want peace. You can find it in Instagram bios, painted on canvases inside houses, or even on billboards. But wanting peace and making peace are two very different things.

Many of us assume that peace just happens, but it is clear that it is built through intentional choices. The kind of peace God blesses does not grow through avoidance or apathy. It grows when people are willing to step toward the hard areas in their lives with the courage of Christ.

One of the biggest lies we believe is that peace comes naturally. If we just wait long enough, it will happen and things will settle down. But peace does not drift toward us. In a broken world, things remain broken.

Being a peacemaker is choosing to be active in pursuing, protecting, and building peace with others. Think about training for a sport. You cannot hope to improve while sitting in the stands. You have to move, practice, and memorize the plays. In the same way, peace requires daily intentionality.

One of the things I love about Jesus is that He rarely avoids the hard moments. Whether it is the woman touching His garment, the moment with Mary and Martha, or confronting Peter, He leans into discomfort knowing that something better lies on the other side. He entered the mess to write a better story.

When I think about peacemaking, I think about deep cleaning the house. We tidy up consistently by vacuuming, doing the dishes, and wiping down counters, but sometimes you have to take everything out of the junk drawer. When you begin that process, the house actually gets dirtier. All the junk comes out of the drawer you have hidden it in and gets spread around the house. But over the next few hours, as you put things back where they truly belong, the house becomes even cleaner than before.

It is sometimes messy to open old wounds and have hard conversations. But that is where true healing begins. God uses your courage to fight for peace and bring order to what has been broken.

But here is the hard part: it is rarely achieved through just one moment. A single apology or resolution may not lead to consistent peace. Peace is a rhythm of daily decisions to be anchored in God when the world pulls at you.

It is choosing forgiveness again, even after another offense. It is pausing before responding in a moment of frustration. It is staying kind when saying something to stir the pot seems tempting. That is the hidden beauty of peace. It is formed in the small moments. The way you treat people daily is a training ground for peace.

When Jesus called peacemakers “sons of God,” He was not just giving a compliment. He was describing our identity as Christians. Children reflect their Father. When you build peace, you show the world what our Father is truly like. People notice the way you respond. In a culture fueled by outrage and competition, peacemakers stand out.

So let me ask you: where do you need to train for peace today? Maybe you already had a moment and it did not go too well. How can you reflect on that and change your response? Maybe you need to go back and apologize to that person. Lean in and make peace!

 

Sellers Hickman serves as College & Teaching Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their two daughters. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.

 

Delight in Honoring Each Other

Kevin Burrell on November 19, 2025

 

Genuinely love one another, and take delight in honoring each other.

Romans 12:10

 

DELIGHT IN HONORING EACH OTHER

One of my closest friends in professional baseball is long-time Major League scout Kirk Fredrickkson with the Boston Red Sox.

Kirk was recently selected by his scouting peers as the “2025 Georgia Scouts Association Scout of the Year.”

For me, I genuinely delight in getting to honor and recognize my friend, not only as a tremendous scout, but as a humble human being who models the character and conduct of Christ in his life.

In a world obsessed with self — self-promotion, self-importance, and self-achievement — it’s easy to forget the quiet beauty of honoring others. We live in a culture that rewards those who climb higher, speak louder, and shine brighter. However, the kingdom of God flips that on its head. Instead of exalting ourselves, we are called to “delight” in lifting others up.

So what is “honor”?

To “honor” someone means to see them the way God sees them — to recognize their self-worth, their divine design, and their place in God’s story. It’s not flattery, selfish motives, or empty praise. True honor flows from humility. It is the willingness to celebrate others’ victories as if they were our own, to listen before we speak, to serve before we seek recognition, and to give dignity where the world offers disregard.

When Paul tells us to “take delight in honoring each other,” he is inviting us into joy. There is something life-giving about honoring others — not out of duty, but genuine delight. Imagine what would happen in our world if believers became known as people who “delight” in honoring others: coworkers, spouses, children, strangers, even those who oppose us. The light of Christ would break through the fog of selfish ambition that clouds our culture.

Listen closely: in a world consumed with self-promotion and personal gain, God calls us to a higher calling — to “delight” in honoring others. It is more than polite words; it is the posture of your heart that celebrates others, lifts them up, and reflects the servant heart of Jesus. When you choose to honor those around you not out of duty, but with joy, you push back against a self-centered culture and make God’s love visible for all to see.

Delight in honoring someone today.

Love God. Love people. Live sent.

Be Worth Being.

Kevin

 

 

Kevin Burrell has worked in professional baseball as both a player and MLB scout for the past 44 years, and currently serves as an area scouting supervisor. Kevin was drafted in the 1st round of the 1981 free agent amateur draft (25th selection overall), and played ten years of professional baseball with four different organizations. He and his wife, Valerie, live in Sharpsburg, Ga.

Digging Deeper: Peace with Ourselves

Avatar photo Sellers Hickman on November 19, 2025

 

6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV)


PEACE WITH ONE ANOTHER

 

There is a battle going on inside every one of us. Some days it is loud and filled with anxiety, insecurity, and guilt. Other days it is quieter and filled with exhaustion, distraction, and numbness. Even if we look calm on the outside, our hearts and minds may be filled with anything but peace.

The Bible does not ignore this struggle. Philippians is written by someone who understood this deeply. Paul was in prison when he wrote these words. If anybody should have been struggling with peace, it was the man in chains awaiting trial. So how could he possibly write these words?

It is important to remember that the peace of God does not remove the chaos around you, but it protects you from being consumed by it. A danger of our day is that we confuse peace with comfort. Comfort does not always equal peace. Biblical peace rarely has anything to do with our circumstances. It has much more to do with our confidence in God’s view of us. This is an outlook on life that trusts God is in control of all things, even when life may seem out of control.

Peace begins when we release what we were never meant to carry. Philippians 4:6 gives us the ability to do that. We fight anxiety by going to God in prayer and with thanksgiving. This inner peace does not come from pretending we are okay. It comes from praying about what is not okay. When you bring your worries to God, you remind your heart who is really in control.

Prayer is how you hand God the things you cannot fix. Thanksgiving is how you remember what He has already done. Together, they protect your peace.

Another reason we struggle is that we forget who we are in Christ. We compare ourselves by success, appearance, or approval, and that leaves us unsatisfied. But when our identity is in what God says about us, peace follows. Which identity do you need to remember that God speaks over you today?

You are chosen (Ephesians 1:4)
You are forgiven (Colossians 1:14)
You are loved (Romans 8:38–39)
You are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
You are redeemed (Ephesians 1:7)
You are free (Galatians 5:1)

Peace begins when striving ends. When you finally believe that God’s love for you does not depend on your performance but on who He says you are. If you are struggling with peace today, ask yourself this: What steals my peace most? Is it an identity issue where you need to change what you believe, or is it a circumstance issue where you need to take action?

I want to challenge you. As you have read and processed these thoughts, return to our opening passage. Put Philippians 4:6–7 into practice today. Go to God right now and cast your anxieties on Him.

 

Sellers Hickman serves as College & Teaching Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their two daughters. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.

 

Digging Deeper: Peace with One Another

Avatar photo Sellers Hickman on November 18, 2025

 

T

If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

Romans 12:18 (ESV)


PEACE WITH ONE ANOTHER

 

If we’re being honest, this verse can be uncomfortable. Living at peace with all people seems great on paper, but it is much more difficult in practice. Living at peace with all people includes those who hurt you, those who gossip about you, and those who do not own their part of the problem. How can we do this when it seems impossible?

Paul knew this tension. That is why he adds the phrase “so far as it depends on you.” It is a gentle reminder that peace does not always mean agreement. It does not mean pretending that things are fine when they are not. It does not mean everyone will respond the way we want them to. It does mean that we have to take responsibility for our part. Do not wait for someone else to fix the relationship. Ultimately, we pursue peace with others because God first pursued peace with us.

Paul is truly calling us to ownership, not control. We cannot control how someone else will respond, but we can control our effort, our tone, our attitude, and our willingness to forgive.

There is a difference between being a peacekeeper and a peacemaker. Peacekeepers avoid conflict to keep everyone happy. Peacemakers address conflict to bring healing.

Jesus has called us to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9). That means we step toward tension, not away from it. We do not bury problems under fake smiles or “I’m good” answers. We bring truth and grace to the table because real peace cannot exist where honesty is absent.

Sometimes that means apologizing first. Other times it means confronting others in love. Either way, the goal is not to win the argument but to win the relationship back.

Again, peace sounds simple, but it often costs us something. Whether it is our pride, our comfort, or our desire to get even, peace comes with a cost. But the benefit far outweighs the cost. How many hard conversations have you held back from in life that continually played over and over again in your mind? Did the avoidance of that conversation add peace or rob you of peace? It robbed you. Then, when you finally had the conversation, did it add peace or rob you of peace? It added peace.

Here is the beauty of the peace that God offers us with others. As believers our peace does not depend on the perfection of others. Consider how Jesus offered us peace. He did not wait for us to come to Him; He came to us. When humanity was running from God, Jesus entered the conflict to make a way for us. Even Jesus paid a cost to offer peace. He took on the cross to extend peace so we could be reconciled to God. If Jesus was willing to pursue peace with those who betrayed Him, denied Him, and crucified Him (this is us), then surely we can take a step toward peace in our own relationships.

Today, if there is somebody you have been avoiding (a friend, sibling, teammate, coworker), take a step toward them. You cannot change the past, but you can change your posture toward them going forward. Let us be people who live this verse out and do everything within our control to live at peace with all people. Let us be people who pray for peace to be present on our teams, in our families, and with the neighbors around us.

 

Sellers Hickman serves as College & Teaching Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their two daughters. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.

 

Digging Deeper: Peace with God

Avatar photo Sellers Hickman on November 17, 2025

 

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:1 (ESV)


PEACE WITH GOD

 

There’s a kind of peace you can’t fake. You can tell when someone truly has it, not because their life is easy, but because their heart is settled. They move through the ups and downs of life with a quiet confidence. That kind of peace isn’t based on personality or positive thinking. It’s something deeper; it’s something spiritual. It’s peace with God.

Before we look at peace with others or peace with ourselves, we have to start here. This is where every other kind of peace begins. If you don’t have peace with God, you’ll always be searching for it somewhere else (relationships, approval, performance, control, etc.).

Peace with God isn’t our default. No matter what family you are born into, you aren’t born Christian. The Bible says that we are born into sin. Not that we occasionally make mistakes, but that we are naturally bent toward doing things our way and for our gain. Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” It’s not just a broken rule but a broken relationship. Sin has separated us from the One who made us. Deep down, every human heart feels that separation. That’s why we wrestle with guilt. That’s why we try to prove ourselves. That’s why even after success or happiness, something still feels missing.

Until we have peace with God, we will never have lasting peace in life.

Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, God didn’t just offer us forgiveness. He offered us a relationship. Our sin created a debt we couldn’t pay, but Christ stepped in and paid it for us. Now, instead of standing before God as enemies or strangers, we stand before Him as sons and daughters.

That’s why Romans 5:1 starts with “therefore.” Paul spent the first four chapters of Romans explaining how we are justified (declared righteous, just as if we never sinned) by faith, not works. We are unable to earn peace with God. We can only receive it by trusting in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.

Peace with God means you don’t have to fear His rejection. You don’t have to earn His approval. You don’t have to wonder if you’ve done enough to make Him love you. All of that was settled on the cross and sealed at the tomb.

Peace with God produces freedom. Freedom from shame. Freedom from striving. Freedom from the lie that you have to fix yourself before you can come to Him. You are free!

Now here is the hard part. Even after you’ve placed your faith in Jesus, it can be easy to struggle to live in that peace. We slip back into our old habits of self-reliance and guilt. We compare ourselves to others and convince ourselves that God must be disappointed.

Maybe you’ve known about God for a long time, but you’ve never truly trusted Him and received this peace. Cry out to Him today! Or maybe you are a believer who has forgotten what it feels like to rest in this peace. Here is the invitation today: don’t try harder; trust deeper.

If you are wondering how you can do that today, here are a few questions you can ask:

  • Am I living like I have peace with God or as if I am still trying to earn it?

  • What guilt or fear do I need to lay down at the cross?

  • How might my relationships change if I truly believed that God’s love for me is unshakable?

Remember: you are not an outsider trying to earn your way in. You are a beloved child who has already been welcomed home!

 

Sellers Hickman serves as College & Teaching Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their two daughters. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.