Only God Can Give Soul Peace
Only God Can Give Soul Peace….
Kyle Zunker shared his testimony in a 2024 issue of Christianity Today… It is a story of anxiety, fear, atheism and redemption:
“Kyle Zunker began suffering terrifying panic attacks in his late teens, which only worsened over time. By 2015, desperate for answers, he underwent an MRI while clinging to anxiety medication and hope. The scan was clear, leaving doctors puzzled and Kyle still searching for relief.
Seven years earlier, Kyle had left home for college. Though raised Christian, his faith was nominal and quickly unraveled. He writes, “I wanted to be the most successful and important person in the world. The more self-oriented my life became, the more I subscribed to intellectual arguments against the existence of God. By my early 20s, I was a staunch atheist.”
As he chased achievement, his health collapsed. His first panic attack at 19 left him desperate and overwhelmed. Anxiety became a constant presence, and he bounced from doctor to doctor, self-medicating to cope. He pinned his hope on passing the bar exam and proposing to his girlfriend, Hannah. When both dreams came true, he was shocked to find no peace: “If those hadn’t brought peace, then what could?”
Before their wedding, Kyle and Hannah often passed Pearl Street Church in San Antonio. Hoping to boost his respectability, he suggested they attend. Expecting to scoff, he was instead moved by a sermon on Genesis 22. Kyle recalls, “God’s instruction to Abraham was not a sadistic test; it prophetically foreshadowed the work of Jesus… God did not require Abraham to pay that price but chose instead to pay it himself.”
Over the next months, he read the New Testament and kept attending church, but anxiety persisted. One sleepless night, exhausted and broken, he finally prayed, “Thy will be done.” He writes, “Everything changed that night. The peace of God… changed my life. It gave me power over anxiety and fear, and my body began to heal as joy and hope replaced depression and despair.””
Our world is full of anxiety producing circumstances of which the devil loves to use as weapons of chaos in our souls. On the other hand, God wants to settle our souls with His supernatural peace. It is a peace that only He can provide to the life that is surrendered to His will. That is why Peter writes… “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)
And it is why Paul tells us “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7)
Paul’s words are a command followed by a result! Are you struggling with anxiety, worry, or fear today? Take it to God in prayer, give it to God to carry, and let His peace guard your heart and mind. And remember, God is always trying to take you someplace new. I love being your Pastor!
For God’s Glory Alone,
Pastor Ray
Image credit: Usnplash
Kyle Zunker shared his testimony in a 2024 issue of Christianity Today… It is a story of anxiety, fear, atheism and redemption:
“Kyle Zunker began suffering terrifying panic attacks in his late teens, which only worsened over time. By 2015, desperate for answers, he underwent an MRI while clinging to anxiety medication and hope. The scan was clear, leaving doctors puzzled and Kyle still searching for relief.
Seven years earlier, Kyle had left home for college. Though raised Christian, his faith was nominal and quickly unraveled. He writes, “I wanted to be the most successful and important person in the world. The more self-oriented my life became, the more I subscribed to intellectual arguments against the existence of God. By my early 20s, I was a staunch atheist.”
As he chased achievement, his health collapsed. His first panic attack at 19 left him desperate and overwhelmed. Anxiety became a constant presence, and he bounced from doctor to doctor, self-medicating to cope. He pinned his hope on passing the bar exam and proposing to his girlfriend, Hannah. When both dreams came true, he was shocked to find no peace: “If those hadn’t brought peace, then what could?”
Before their wedding, Kyle and Hannah often passed Pearl Street Church in San Antonio. Hoping to boost his respectability, he suggested they attend. Expecting to scoff, he was instead moved by a sermon on Genesis 22. Kyle recalls, “God’s instruction to Abraham was not a sadistic test; it prophetically foreshadowed the work of Jesus… God did not require Abraham to pay that price but chose instead to pay it himself.”
Over the next months, he read the New Testament and kept attending church, but anxiety persisted. One sleepless night, exhausted and broken, he finally prayed, “Thy will be done.” He writes, “Everything changed that night. The peace of God… changed my life. It gave me power over anxiety and fear, and my body began to heal as joy and hope replaced depression and despair.””
Our world is full of anxiety producing circumstances of which the devil loves to use as weapons of chaos in our souls. On the other hand, God wants to settle our souls with His supernatural peace. It is a peace that only He can provide to the life that is surrendered to His will. That is why Peter writes… “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)
And it is why Paul tells us “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7)
Paul’s words are a command followed by a result! Are you struggling with anxiety, worry, or fear today? Take it to God in prayer, give it to God to carry, and let His peace guard your heart and mind. And remember, God is always trying to take you someplace new. I love being your Pastor!
For God’s Glory Alone,
Pastor Ray
Image credit: Usnplash
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