The day our family left Michi­gan to move to California will be forever etched in my memory. As we said goodbye to friends and a dearly loved community, we left with tears in our eyes. Transitions can be difficult. They leave us with unsettled feelings and uncertainty about the road ahead. They leave us with troubled hearts and almost anything but peace.

As Jesus prepared his disciples for his departure, he promised that they would receive the Holy Spirit and that he would come back one day. He had prepared them well for what was next. But I think he knew that this transition would still be very difficult for them. He knew they would have a lot of fear about what the future had in store. So he gave them this message of peace—saying that he would give them his peace.

Transitions are just one thing that can bring about fear in our lives. Fear of what lies ahead and fear of the unknown can be very strong. But all our fears can be overcome by the Lord’s peace, which he gives us each day.

When your life is filled with lots of changes and unknowns, turn to the peace that Jesus has promised. The peace that he has given can bring us through times of trouble and fear.