
A Walnut Orchard Taught Me about Peace
A devotional by Kerry Sue Teravskis
“Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
—Philippians 4:7 (NLT)
The peacefulness of a walnut orchard is a sight to behold.
The canopy that the majestic trees make over the straight rows of mown grass, the immense cover of shade as well as the tunnels down the aisles of trees—it’s beautiful. It produces a peace that can be felt.
Having the privilege of living in Northern California, I am surrounded by many types of orchards—one of my favorites being a walnut orchard. Not only are the trees huge, heavy laden with their fruit midsummer, they create a scene so quiet, so serene and so still. One just has to pause and breathe.
There are miles of orchards near our farm. I get a sense of expectation when I know I will be passing along those roads filled with trees on either side. I anticipate it long before I see them because I know I will see peace. Yes, see it. There really is no other way to describe it.
One of my dreams is to picnic under the umbrella of the walnut trees, to spend the time with good company, feasting, painting, and experiencing encouragement that comes from sharing life together. While I have not done that yet, I have had picnics in our own pasture in our flower garden, and in our vegetable garden. Serene.
The Bible tells us that God is our source of perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). His peace is beyond measure and understanding. God offers everything we need to have our hearts and minds guarded against the evils, trials and tests we have in this world. But what happens if peace is missing, elusive, just beyond our reach? How can I get the peace I crave?
The Apostle Paul gives us an if-then clause in Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT). He states it quite clearly when he said, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
There are four commands given to us in verse six. Let’s review each one:
Command #1: Don’t worry about anything. Literally anything. This is a tall order, but with God it is possible.
Command #2: Pray about everything. Notice the words “anything” and “everything”. They pretty much cover it all.
Command #3: Tell God what you need. Talk to Him about your wants and needs. In a relationship, communication is key. Back and forth dialogue, the exchanging of ideas, needs, dreams, experiences are what keep the relationship alive and real. The same is true in our faith walk with God.
Command #4: Thank God. This is one part which often gets overlooked. We pray, we wait, we receive. We move forward, often forgetting we had prayed. Or we receive an answer for something we had not prayed for previously, and not even realizing we had a need. When we do get exactly what we need at precisely the time we need it, we accept it, but forget the source—God, our loving Heavenly Father.
When we practice these four commands, God gives us peace. We need only to look at our actions to see if we have followed what the Apostle Paul laid out for us. The process of receiving peace from God may seem simple, but it is quite profound because it requires something of us: obedience.
Now you may be wondering, “How does this relate to the walnut orchard?” Good question. Trees are just trees. They do their thing by providing fruit, shade and ground cover. They do what they are meant to do, and we have the benefit of their purpose. This is God’s blessing to us. He did not have to create trees (especially delicious fruit trees), but He did. One walnut tree on its own is spectacular because of its sheer size. But a whole orchard of walnut trees that span across acres and miles upon miles? Breathtaking.
Our acts of obedience can be seen like this: One act of obeying God is spectacular, but many strung together creates a symphony of righteousness. Our witness as Christians becomes beautiful as a walnut orchard when we live our life for God. It is then when peace not only abounds, but spills over to everyone around. Before long, everybody can enjoy the fruit, shade, cover and protection of this perfect peace.
Are you missing peace in your life? Look at the four commands in Philippians 4:6 to evaluate which one (or ones) you are missing then seek to correct the lack. It is worth it because then God’s peace and goodness will fill you completely.
Let’s Pray:
Father God,
You are the God of Peace. I do thank You for peace, for life, for salvation, and for answers to prayer—even those I had not prayed. You see all and You provide our every need. Thank You for meeting all my needs so I need not worry. Forgive me for the times when I worry. Teach me how to trust You completely because I need Your incredible peace in my life every day. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.
Song of Reflection: “Peace” by Dr. Juanita Bynum. Listen to it here.
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Author Bio:
Kerry Sue’s life is very full because she is a wife and Marmee to three adult children—two of whom are married—and a new grandson.

Kerry Sue met her husband in college and served on the mission field with him for a few years before settling down back in the United States of America to raise their family.
Kerry Sue’s family was a homeschooling family for 20 years and they enjoyed it immensely. For the last 24 years they have lived on a small farm in Northern California where they have raised many farm animals, along with growing and preserving their food. Kerry Sue’s family farm has been a great source of enjoyment and a place to host many family gatherings. She maintains an open-door policy for dear friends—old and new.
Following and serving Jesus Christ is an integral part of Kerry Sue’s life as well as her family’s. Whether it’s singing in the church choir, teaching children or leading and lecturing at a women’s Bible study, Kerry Sue loves to demonstrate her love for Jesus by giving to Him in service. She’s been a blogger for more than eight years, a Bible study writer for four years, and a devotional writer for more than two years.
Kerry Sue feels led to write about finding God’s Sovereignty in our suffering because of her own ongoing journey of more than four years, with the hope to encourage others.
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Connect with Kerry:
Blog: https://www.sovereignblog.com/home
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kerry.teravskis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ksteravskis/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sovereignblog