Constantly Occupied With Jesus
Peace is not the absence of noise, but the presence of Christ in the room where you’ve fixed your gaze.
Devotional Credit: Days of Heaven on Earth by A.B. Simpson
Photo Credit: Unsplash
In today’s devotional entry, A. B. Simpson points us to the quiet center of every believer’s soul—Christ Himself, who offers not just any peace, but His peace. Unlike the world’s version, Christ’s peace isn’t circumstantial. It’s a Person. And the abiding of that peace hinges on one crucial truth: where our attention rests.
Simpson urges us to realize that our inner peace flows from the Holy Spirit's gentle rule within us. However, that peace is easily disrupted when we turn our gaze elsewhere. The enemy’s tactic isn’t always blatant rebellion—it’s distraction. A quick-tempered word, a drifting thought, a moment of indulgence—none of these are mountains. But stumbling over straw can knock us off-center when our heart isn't jealously fixed on Christ.
Simpson’s insight is that the true battleground is not just against obvious sin but against anything that interrupts our steady gaze upon Jesus. He invites us into the simplicity and rest of maintaining unbroken fellowship—what he calls being "constantly, jealously occupied with Jesus." This is the secret to peace that doesn’t rise and fall with circumstance.
Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I have given you My peace—not the fragile, uncertain peace the world offers, but peace anchored in Myself. Let not your heart be troubled. Let it not be afraid. Keep your thoughts set on Me, and you will remain in perfect peace, for your mind is stayed on Me because you trust in Me.
When distractions press in, do not receive them. I am not far. I am the Shepherd who walks with you and within you in the stillness and the storm. Guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly.
Be watchful, for your adversary prowls subtly, often through the ordinary. Yet I keep you. I surround you with songs of deliverance. Fix your eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith. The more your gaze rests on Me, the more peace and rest flood your soul.
Remain in Me, and let My words remain in you. This is your safe pasture. Here is your quiet strength. Let your soul return to its rest, for I have dealt bountifully with you.
(Scripture references: John 14:27; Isaiah 26:3; Proverbs 4:23; John 10:10; Psalm 32:7; Hebrews 12:2; John 15:4-7; Psalm 116:7)
Real-Life Analogy
Have you ever been trying to read in a quiet room when a subtle noise pulls your attention—maybe a distant hum, a soft tapping, or a flickering light? It’s not loud, and yet somehow, it draws your eyes or shifts your focus. You're still in the same peaceful room, but your concentration has slipped. That’s how distractions work in the spiritual life. Peace hasn’t left the room—Christ is still present—but our attention has wandered. The secret isn’t to chase away every noise. It’s to return your gaze to the words before you, to the Person who is your peace.
Prayer of Confidence
Lord, I rest today in the peace that is already mine in You. You have not given me a peace that depends on how I feel or what happens around me, but a peace rooted in Your unchanging presence. I rejoice that even when distractions whisper and the noise of life rises, Your Spirit remains steady within me. I trust You to refocus my gaze whenever it drifts and to anchor my thoughts in the truth that You are my peace. Let me be joyfully occupied with You in every moment today.