"Now What?" - Week 3 Bible Reading Plan

The question 'NOW WHAT?' in bold white letters against a blue brick wall. 'NOW' is highlighted in orange, and a white logo sits below the text.

7-Day Devotional Week 3

Peace Be With You: The First Gift of the Resurrection

DAY 1 — THE FIRST WORD AFTER FAILURE

“Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’” John 20:19

The disciples were hiding.Not celebrating. Not preaching. Not standing boldly in faith.Hiding behind locked doors.

Just days earlier they had promised loyalty. Then fear took over. Peter denied Jesus. Others ran away. Everyone carried disappointment and confusion. And then Jesus appeared. What He says first matters. He could have started with correction. He could have replayed their failures. He could have demanded explanations.

Instead: “Peace be with you.” That is resurrection grace.Jesus steps into rooms full of fear and speaks peace before performance.Sometimes we assume God’s first response to our failure is disappointment.But the resurrection tells another story.The risen Christ comes near with peace.Jesus responds to fearful hearts with peace, not rejection.

Prayer: Lord, thank You that Your first word over my failures is peace. Teach me to stop hiding and trust Your grace. Amen.

DAY 2 — FROM “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?” TO “IT IS FINISHED”

Scripture

Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Genesis 3:13

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. John 19:30

The Bible tells one unfolding story.In Eden, after sin entered the world, God asked: “What have you done?”That question carried the weight of guilt and brokenness.Sin fractured everything:peace with God peace with others peace within ourselvesHumanity began hiding.But on the cross, Jesus cried: “It is finished.”The debt was paid.

The penalty absorbed. The separation bridged.And after the resurrection, Jesus appears saying:“Peace be with you.”Notice the movement of the gospel:“What have you done?” “It is finished.” “Peace be with you.”That is redemption.You stop striving to cover the debt because it has already been handled.The cross and resurrection announce that your spiritual debt has been fully paid.The resurrection announces that reconciliation has already been accomplished.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You that You finished what I never could. Help me live in the peace You purchased for me. Amen.

DAY 3 — PEACE IN THE STORM

“Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’” John 20:19

The disciples were still behind locked doors when Jesus spoke peace.The circumstances had not changed yet.Rome was still dangerous. Questions still lingered. Uncertainty still existed.But His presence changed the room.

Biblical peace is not the absence of trouble. It is stability in the middle of it. Peace does not mean the waves stop immediately. It means you no longer drift.

An anchor does not remove a storm. The wind still blows. The waves still crash. But the anchor keeps the ship from being carried away. That’s resurrection peace. The empty tomb becomes an anchor for the soul. Because Jesus lives: fear does not own you doubt does not define you anxiety does not get the final word Resurrection peace anchors you when life still feels uncertain.

Prayer: Lord, anchor my heart in Your presence. Even when life feels unstable, remind me that You are still holding me steady. Amen.

DAY 4 — YOU DON’T HAVE TO HIDE ANYMORE

When the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”Genesis 3:8–10

One of the first results of sin was hiding.Adam and Eve hid from God. Shame always pushes people into isolation.

We still do it today. We hide our fears. Hide our struggles. Hide our regrets. We assume if people really knew us, they would walk away. But the resurrection declares: “You no longer have to hide.” Jesus already knew the disciples failed Him. And He came anyway. That changes everything. That is the heart of God. The resurrection proves Jesus moves toward broken people, not away from them. Grace invites you out of hiding.

Prayer: Father, help me stop hiding behind fear and shame. Teach me to trust that Your grace is greater than my failures. Amen.

DAY 5 — PEACE FOR YOUR MIND

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6–7

Fear has a way of filling the mind.“What if?” “What happens next?” “What if things never improve?”The disciples understood that feeling.Yet Jesus spoke peace directly into anxious hearts.Biblical peace is not pretending everything is fine.It is confidence that Jesus is still present even when life feels uncertain.Peace guards the mind like a shield.Noise-canceling headphones don’t remove every sound around you.But they reduce the chaos enough for you to focus clearly.The world constantly feeds fear and panic.Resurrection peace quiets the noise enough for you to hear the voice of Christ again.The presence of Jesus quiets the chaos within.

Prayer: Jesus, calm the noise in my mind today. Replace anxiety with trust and fear with confidence in You. Amen.

DAY 6 — YOUR FAILURE IS NOT FINAL

Scripture

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” 17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!” John 21:15–19

Peter denied Jesus three times.That failure could have defined the rest of his life.But resurrection peace rewrote Peter’s future.Jesus did not rise to imprison people in their worst moments.He rose to restore them.That means your past is not the end of your story. “There is still a future.”Because Jesus lives, failure never gets the final word.

Prayer: Lord, thank You that my mistakes do not define me. Help me move forward in the peace and purpose You provide. Amen.

DAY 7 — THE GIFT THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING

“Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’” John 20:19

We often think first about victory, heaven, hope, or eternal life when we talk about the resurrection.And rightly so.

But Jesus Himself emphasized peace first. Why? Because peace is what humanity lost in Eden. And peace is what Jesus restored through the cross and resurrection. This peace is: relational peace with God, internal peace within the soul, spiritual peace that steadies faith, personal peace for everyday life Biblical peace means wholeness. Life put back together through Christ. That is resurrection peace. Jesus restores broken lives instead of discarding them. The resurrection restores what sin shattered.

Closing Prayer: Jesus, thank You for the first gift of the resurrection: peace. Because You live, I no longer have to live in fear, shame, or captivity to my past. Fill my life with Your restoring peace and teach me to walk in it daily. Amen.