“Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee” (Job 22:21, KJV).
Job 22:21
To acquaint ourselves with God means to develop a personal relationship with Him through prayer, reading His Word, obeying His commands, and trusting His character. But how can we put this verse into practice each day?
Begin your morning by spending some quality time reading the Bible and praying before checking your phone or attending to other responsibilities. Ask God to guide your thoughts, words, and actions throughout the day. When anxiety arises, pause and pray specifically about what troubles you, then remind yourself of a promise from Scripture that relates to the problem or question.
Before making an important decision, ask
“Does this choice agree with God’s Word, reflect His character, and honor Him?”
When someone offends you, resist the urge to respond in kind, or in anger; instead, pray for wisdom and choose to speak with grace. The way Jesus would. remember, even when Judas came with the unruly mob to take Him away to be crucified, Jesus calmly called Judas
“friend.” (Mat 26:50)
Even as Judas betrayed Him, Jesus addressed him as “friend.” This moment reveals the remarkable restraint, compassion, and the dignity of Christ. Jesus did not respond with hatred or revenge, even when He was betrayed by someone who had walked with Him.
The word “friend” does not necessarily mean Jesus approved of Judas’s actions. Rather, it highlights the contrast between Judas’s betrayal and Jesus’ response. Jesus knew what Judas was doing. Yet Jesus remained composed and did not abandon His character of righteousness.
We cannot always control how others treat us, but we can always choose how we respond. Following Christ means refusing to let another person’s betrayal determine our character. We can speak truth, establish appropriate boundaries, and still refuse to be ruled by hatred or revenge.
At the end of your day, try spending some time reviewing your actions. Thanking God for His goodness. Confessing any wrongdoing. Identifying one way you can grow spiritually tomorrow. These simple, consistent habits will help to build a closer relationship with God.
Being at peace does not mean that every problem will disappear; it means that we learn to face our problems with confidence in God rather than being controlled by fear. The promise that good shall come unto us is not a guarantee of wealth or a trouble-free life, but an encouragement to walk faithfully with God and trust Him in every circumstance.
Do not leave this verse as a good thought that you admire but will never apply. Open your Bible, set aside time to pray, surrender a specific worry to God, and take one action that demonstrates obedience to His Word. Repeat these steps tomorrow. And then every day. As you consistently seek the Creator, you will cultivate a deeper relationship with Him and learn to experience the peace that comes from trusting His faithfulness.
“Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.” (Job 22:21)
God desires more than our occasional attention; He desires a daily relationship with us. We draw near to Him by reading His Word, praying honestly, obeying His commands, and trusting Him with our concerns. This verse gives us a practical challenge: begin each morning with God, turn to Him when worry arises, seek His wisdom before making decisions, and examine your heart before going to bed. When someone offends you, choose grace over anger. When circumstances are uncertain, choose faith over fear. These actions will not remove every difficulty, but they help us develop a heart that rests in God’s faithfulness.
There is an amazing story about how Jesus experienced for Himself the peace talked about in Job 22:21
“And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?” (Mark 4:38)
In the “likeness of sinful flesh” (Rom 8:3), Jesus must also have become acquainted with the Father, and then experienced that promise personally, especially in the boat. I mean, Jesus was sleeping quite comfortably while the disciples were afraid for their very lives.
Jesus’ deep and abiding peace becomes even more remarkable when we consider that He experienced genuine humanity in a world capable of extraordinary cruelty. Romans 8:3 tells us that God sent His Son “in the likeness of sinful flesh.” Jesus took upon Himself our human nature, experiencing hunger, exhaustion, sorrow, rejection, betrayal, physical pain, and death, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).
He knew what it was to be weary enough to sleep in a boat during a raging storm (Mark 4:38), yet Jesus had that peace spoken of in our opening text. Jesus also faced the hostility of religious leaders, the betrayal of Judas, the abandonment of His disciples, and the agony of the cross. How did He maintain such peace? His peace was rooted in His unbroken fellowship with the Father, His complete trust in the Father’s wisdom, and His unwavering commitment to the Father’s will. Jesus said, “I do always those things that please him” (John 8:29).
He regularly withdrew to pray (Luke 5:16), entrusted Himself to the Father, and refused to allow hatred to produce hatred within Him. When reviled, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He committed Himself to the One who judges righteously (1 Peter 2:23). His peace did not mean that He was emotionally untouched by suffering. He wept, grieved, and experienced profound anguish in Gethsemane. Rather, His suffering never turned Him away from the Father or caused Him to abandon righteousness. Even at the cross, He prayed for His executioners (Luke 23:34) and ultimately entrusted His spirit to the Father as He died on the cross (Luke 23:46).
There is an important distinction here: Jesus did not overcome human cruelty by becoming less human or by suppressing His emotions. He overcame it by remaining perfectly faithful to the Father within His genuine human experience. Where our fallen nature is tempted to answer hatred with hatred, fear with panic, and injury with revenge, Jesus remained obedient, loving, and trusting. His peace was not the absence of suffering; it was the steadfastness of His relationship with the Father in the midst of suffering.
Jesus possessed that peace because of His complete trust in the Father and His unwavering confidence in the Father’s will. Through prayer, fellowship with the Father, and perfect submission to His purposes, Jesus lived in continual dependence upon Him. He did not need favorable circumstances to experience peace because His peace was rooted in His relationship with the Father, not in His surroundings. His sleep in the boat demonstrated that the raging storm did not disturb His confidence or prevent Him from resting.
These words, drawn from Psalm 22:1, express the terrible depth of His suffering. Christians differ in how they explain every aspect of this cry, but it is clear that Scripture does not portray Jesus as emotionally detached from the agony of the cross. He experienced suffering profoundly and expressed it openly. Yet He continued to entrust Himself to the Father. Luke 23:46 records His final words: “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” The same Jesus who expressed anguish also expressed trust. His trust did not require Him to pretend that the anguish was absent.
What does this teach us about the peace of Christ?
Jesus was truly human, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). He experienced human emotions without allowing those emotions to lead Him into sin. He did not need to deny sorrow, fear, or anguish in order to remain faithful to the Father.
We often think that spiritual maturity means we should not feel distressed, hurt, angry, or afraid. We may even believe that admitting these emotions reveals a lack of faith. But Jesus’ example teaches us otherwise. We can acknowledge pain honestly before God without surrendering our hearts to bitterness, despair, or revenge.
When someone hurts us, we can admit that it hurts and still choose forgiveness. When we face uncertainty, we can acknowledge our fear and still choose obedience. When injustice angers us, we can recognize the wrong and respond righteously rather than vindictively.
It’s hard to imagine anyone allowing repentance or any other thing become a barrier between us and God. Our Lord will literally take us just as we are. (John 6:37)
“Jesus loves to have us come to Him just as we are, sinful, helpless, and needy. We may come, foolish and weak as we are, and fall at His feet in sorrow for sin. It is His glory to put His arms of love around us, heal our wounds, and make us clean.” (Steps to Christ, page 50).
We do not have to make ourselves worthy before coming to Jesus. We come to Him in our weakness, confess our sins, and allow Him to forgive, cleanse, and transform us. We come as we are, but we do not have to remain as we are.
“if anyone is in Christ, ALL THINGS become new.” (2 Cor5:17)
Jesus always came to the Father exactly as He was in each of His traumatic experiences. Even on the cross.
Isaiah also came to God with an open honest heart. He did not try to hide how he was feeling:
“Please, look down from the heavens. See what is happening now. Look down at us from your great and holy home in heaven. Where is your strong love for us? Where is your compassion? Why are you hiding your kind love from me?” (Isa 63:15)
Jesus Himself did not find peace by refusing to feel or to express His emotions. Jesus remained faithful to His Father in everything He felt or expressed in prayer.
This brings us back to the boat in Mark 4:38.
The Bible does not tell us precisely what Jesus was feeling as He slept. But His sleep demonstrates His genuine physical weariness. His later anguish in Gethsemane shows us that He was not incapable of distress. Rather, throughout His earthly life, He lived in complete dependence upon the Father, expressing genuine human emotions while remaining perfectly obedient. This is why Isaiah 26:3 declares:
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”
The lesson is not that we must become emotionally bankrupt in order to experience God’s peace. It is that we can bring our whole selves, just as we are. Our grief. Our disappointments. Our fears. Our anger. Our deepest hurts. Our character. Bringing everything to God. Trusting Him to guide our responses, and establish the thoughts and intents of our hearts. The peace of Christ is not a heart that never trembles. It is a heart that remains surrendered to God even when it does tremble.
We too may develop this kind of peace by drawing near to God through prayer, meditating on His Word, and learning to trust His character, and proving His promises. Even when we cannot control our circumstances.
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” (Isa 26:3)
Personal Application
Before the day ends, read a passage of Scripture, pray about a specific concern, and take an action that demonstrates obedience to God. Do not simply seek His help when you need something. Seek to know Him more deeply every day. True peace grows as we learn to trust the Lord, follow His direction, and leave the things beyond our control in His hands.
Suggested Daily Plan To Put Job 22:21 into practice.
Morning: 10 minutes. Begin with God. Just like your Bible does. Read a short Bible passage. Write down one truth about God and pray about that truth, asking for Creator’s guidance throughout the day.
When worry arises: 2 minutes. Turn your anxiety into prayer. Name the specific concern, ask God for wisdom, and identify one responsible action you can take in whatever you are praying about. Entrust the outcome to Jesus.
Before any decision, consult and apply God’s Word. Ask yourself whether your choice agrees with Scripture, demonstrates honesty and love, and honors God. Seek wise counsel when needed.
In your interactions, practice obedience. Speak kindly, refuse to repay hurt with hurt, forgive where appropriate, and make things right, when possible, whenever, wherever you have done wrong.
Evening: 5 minutes. Examine your day. Thank God for several things. Confess any wrongdoing, consider where you trusted Him or fell short, and identify one improvement for tomorrow. Ask yourself a reflection question:
Ask yourself, always, what is one area of your life where you need to draw closer to God and trust Him more completely?
Suggested Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me to know You more deeply, seek Your wisdom daily, and how to obey Your Word in my thoughts, words, and actions. Teach me to bring my worries to You. Respond to others with grace and compassion of Christ. And to trust Your faithfulness, and your purposes when life is uncertain. Help me not merely to hear Your Word but to live it. May my life reflect the peace that comes from walking closely with You. Like Jesus had in the boat during that life-threatening storm.
God, be merciful to me because of your faithful love. Because of your great compassion, erase all the wrongs I have done. Scrub away my guilt. Wash me clean from my sin. I know I have done wrong. I remember that sin all the time.
I did what you said is wrong. You are the one I have sinned against. I say this so that people will know that I am wrong and you are right. What you decided is fair. I was born to do wrong, a sinner before I left my mother’s womb.
You want me to be completely loyal, so put true wisdom deep inside of me. Remove my sin and make me pure. Wash me until I am whiter than snow! Let me hear sounds of joy and happiness again. Let the bones you crushed be happy again. Don’t look at my sins. Erase them all. God, create a pure heart in me, and make my spirit strong again. Don’t push me away or take your Holy Spirit from me. Your help made me so happy. Give me that joy again. Make my spirit strong and ready to obey you. I will teach the guilty how you want them to live, and the sinners will come back to you. (Psalms 51:1-13, ERV)
Help me/us to draw near to God and find His peace, in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
