June 29

Finding Peace in the Strangest Places


You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you!

Isaiah 26:3 (NLT)


They will be my people and I will be their God, I will give them singleness of heart and action.

Jeremiah 32:38-39 (NIV)


Once again, I climbed to the open roof of my temporary home. I had come to learn a valuable lesson here: It didn’t matter where I was ... singleness of heart and mind led to God’s unfathomable peace.

Up top, the warm, dry, early-morning air wrapped around me and the never-ending blue sky greeted me as always—the bright color a stark contrast to the muted desert hues below. There was no one here but me … and God.

I found my old plastic lawn chair and before opening my Bible, I hunched over and began to pray.

So began another day, one of 390 days spent here—in this compound on the edge of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

I transitioned from the time on my villa roof to my work—making the thirty-minute drive into downtown Riyadh and negotiating with my Saudi counterparts. The daily trip was a true adventure and brought new meaning to the term “defensive driving.” Actually, it was competition or maybe I should call it street combat—my car against the other guy’s. At least, that’s the way it seemed—especially when I passed accident scenes with bodies lying on the side of the road!

In spite of all the sunshine, it was a dark land, and I never knew what was more dangerous—the wild driving or the few people there bent on killing Americans. One thing I did come to know was this: I can trust God anywhere. Yes, it was a great place to trust God, to find peace, to live above it all—with Him, on my open roof.


Lord, open our hearts to Your great peace. Right now. Right here. Amen.