Is There Any Peace in This World?

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful."  Colossians 3:12-15

Peace is an elusive commodity in this old world.  From suicide bombers and all the other terrorist acts overseas to fractured relationships with other people to the tragedies of life that may befall us, it seems that the disturbance of peace lurks around every corner.  Is there anything we can do to keep peace in our lives?

There are several aspects to peace.  For instance, there are many calamities of life which we are helpless to prevent, but trusting God through the ones that come to us helps us go through them with peace in our hearts.  God promises to give His perfect peace to those who put their trust in Him.

We need to keep our peace with God by obeying His commands and confessing and repenting right away when we sin.

One of the most painful disturbances of our peace comes when we quarrel with someone we love.  It helps us maintain a peaceful life when we deal with love, compassion, mercy, and forgiveness to the people in our lives.  

We are particularly exhorted to keep the unity and the peace which Jesus has given to His body, the church.  We have some important bonds with our fellow believers.  D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said,  "We are all equally sinners...We are all equally helpless...We have all come to one and the same Savior...We have the same salvation...We have the same Holy Spirit...We have the same Father...And finally, we are all marching and going together to the same eternal home.  It is a knowledge and appreciation of these things that will draw us together."

So, not only do I wish you a Merry Christmas, but I wish you a Christmas filled with God's peace in your heart and in your relationships.

Father, thank You for that peace that passes understanding that is available to us.  What a precious gift.  Amen.

How to Find Peace

Colossians 3:15a,  "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace."

There are three kinds of peace discussed in the Bible.  The first kind, peace with God, is a prerequisite for the second kind, the peace of God, and enables the third kind, peace with other people.

The most important thing we celebrate during the Christmas season is peace with God, our salvation, the forgiveness of our sins and the assurance of heaven, all through Jesus Christ.  Isaiah 9:6, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 53:5c,  "The punishment that brought us peace was on him. Ephesians 2:14a, "For he himself is our peace." Colossians 1:19-20,  "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood shed on the cross." Romans 5:1, "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."  

We all seek inner peace in a noisy world where we are surrounded by problems and troubles and evil. God can give us His peace in the midst of turmoil and chaos and opposition. Jesus promised in John 14:27,  "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you." Galatians 5:22 tells us that peace is a fruit produced in lives that are controlled by the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:6 says it this way, "The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace." Isaiah 26:3 tells us that our part is faith, saying, "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you."

To those who have peace with God and are walking in the peace of God, the Bible gives exhortations to live in peace with other people. Over and over Scripture tells us to live peaceful lives. Psalm 34:14b,  "Seek peace and pursue it." Zechariah 8:19b, "Love truth and peace." Jesus' words in Mark 9:50, "Be at peace with each other." Romans 12:18, "If it is possible,as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."

As we worship the Prince of Peace this holy season, may we honor and glorify Him by sharing His peace with those around us.

My prayer for us all is found in 2 Thessalonians 3:16a,  "Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way."

What brings you joy?

"But the angel said to them,  "Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people."  Luke 2:10

The coming of Jesus into the world is an event which brings us joy deep within our hearts. Jesus told His disciples,  "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11) What did Jesus tell His disciples that brought them such joy? The verses that precede John 15:11 answer our question. They say,  "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in His love." (John 15:9-10)  This is great good news--the omnipotent God who created and sustains this vast universe loves us. These words of Jesus are for us as well as for His disciples.

How should we respond to such a great love from God Himself? Scripture gives us direction. Psalm 47:1 says, "Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy..."  Verses 1-2 in Psalm 66 say, "Shout for joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious." Isaiah 12:5 exhorts us to "Sing to the Lord, for He has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world."

Not only do we rejoice and worship and praise God, but we pass the wonder of it all on to others. Paul said to Philemon, "Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord's people." (Philemon 1:7) Is there someone who needs your encouragement today?

We walk in obedience to God's commands because He loves us and we love Him. John wrote in 2 John 1:4, "It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.”

The book of Jude closes with a beautiful doxology of praise which stems from the joy Jesus gives to those who are His. May it lead us in our worship of the Lord today.

Jude 1:24-25, "To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy--to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power, and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore.  Amen.”

When Traditions Fail, Where Do You Find Strength?

Nehemiah 8:10c,  "The joy of the Lord is your strength."

Every Christmas season my heart returns to the past, to the house where I grew up, and to the wonderful Christmases I spent with my parents, my brother, and the rest of my family. I can still picture my Aunt Bill unmolding gelatin salads on a tray and piling the carved turkey high on a platter. I still thrill with excitement when I remember my Aunt Johnny and Uncle Fred arriving from out of town with big smiles on their faces, hugs all around, and a car packed full of presents.

The scene often shifts to the Christmases my husband and I spent with our children when they were growing up and Santa Claus was real to them. I could barely contain my excitement on Christmas Eve as I laid out their toys and anticipated their reactions on Christmas morning. These are such happy memories, and I yearn to relive those times and see those precious faces again.

The Christmas season in recent years has changed for me and my family. My children, and even some of my grandchildren, are grown, and there are seven great grandchildren. Because there are so many of us, it is no longer feasible to gather the whole crowd at one time, so we are having several smaller Christmas celebrations. It is not the same, and I miss our traditions.

Christmas past and present can be bitter sweet, but the future holds only joy for those who will one day celebrate this holiday with its honoree, Jesus Christ. Jesus came that we might rejoice in the sweet memories of the past and in His constant presence with us in the present, but, most of all, so we can rejoice in the eternal future which He has lovingly prepared for each of His children. So there can be, and should be, joy even in the middle of our losses in the past and our problems in the present because of all that the future holds for us. Rejoice!

Father, I rejoice in the sweet memories of the past, in Your constant presence with me now, and in the future You have prepared for us. Thank You.  Amen.

"Talk Is Cheap"

Romans 5:8,  "But God demonstrated his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners Christ died for us."

A friend of mine would say of certain people,  "They talk a good game," implying that their words were idle chatter, with no action behind them.  James 1:22 admonishes us,  "Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says," and James 2:14,  "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?  Can such faith save him?" and James 2:18b,  "Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do."  In other words, what we say should be backed up by our actions to prove that our words are true.  Today we have the saying,  "Talk is cheap."  Actions exact a price--sometimes in time, sometimes in energy, and sometimes we are required to make a sacrifice of money or something else material.

God tells us over and over in the Scripture how much He loves us, but His words are not just cheap conversation.  He has backed them up by action after action.

First of all, God created a world with air, water, food, heat--all the things He knew we would need physically--and He included beauty to minister to our hearts and souls as well.  Then He created us, breathing into our bodies the breath of life.  He sustains us and our world day after day.  Colossians 2:17b, speaking of Christ, says,  "In him all things hold together."

Second, Jesus is our Emmanuel, God with us, and he has promised never to leave us nor forsake us.

Third, God takes us to be His children just as we are, but He loves us too much to leave us like He finds us.  He is always working to make us more and more like His Son Jesus, and He never gives up.

Fourth, our heavenly Father's ears are always attentive to our prayers.  He hears us and answers us.  He works all things that happen to us for our good if we love Him and are obeying Him.

Most of all, God proved His love for us by the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  John 15:13,  "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

Over and over God has proven to us, and continues to show us, how very much He loves us.  Celebrate His love.  Bask in it.  And pass it along all year.

Father, thank You for loving us and showing Your love to us in so many ways.  Amen.