God’s glory came to earth…His transcendent and infinite greatness, the sum of His perfection took the shape of a tiny baby born in Bethlehem. God’s peace came to earth…the gift of reconciliation with our Creator came to us in the form of the Gospel Message, the Good News of salvation. God’s favor came to earth…His Good Will was lavished on us while we were yet far from Him, His Good Pleasure not to see any lost. Isaiah best sums it up, “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 9:6)
Tag: His peace
Numbers 6: 24-26 ” The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face towards you and give you peace.”
May this Priestly Blessing found in the Old Testament give you comfort today…whatever your situation. For it tells us here that God is guarding and protecting your very life at this moment…that He lifts up His head and His face brightens as He looks straight into your eyes with love and concern. Psalm 25:17 says, “The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish.” Sometimes all we long for is peace…and God wants to plant or establish that peace into your life today…replacing strife and turmoil with a sense of well-being, security, wholeness, and comfort.
Hebrews 12:11 ” No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
We will all go through Seasons of our lives when sickness, loss, and life-changing trials will take us deep into that Valley of the Shadow of Death. But it’s not until we come out on the other side that we can then truly appreciate what we’ve learned from it all. For it’s then that God can remind us of His unfaltering Presence… His overwhelming grace and mercy…and His infinite love. We may not experience a lot of joy in the middle of that trial…but we can still have the peace that passes all understanding.
Romans 12:18 ” If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
This verse is very specific in two points. The first relates to our responsibility in potentially volatile interactions. We are the only person that can control our own emotions, and what rests on us here in this verse is the obligation and charge to live at peace with others. The other point is that we can’t pick and chose who we live at peace with, for it states here we are to live peaceable with all human beings to the very best of our ability.
Psalm 25:14 ” The Lord confides in those who fear Him; He makes His covenant known to them.”
In the middle of desperate, troubling times our emotions can’t be trusted. But what can be trusted is what the Lord has done for us in the past…those landmarks of our life when God moved mightily. For it was in those turning points when we clearly were able to see His mercy and love demonstrated. And so It’s those remembrances we can fall back on today that will offer the most peace and comfort for our soul.
I Corinthians 14:33 ” For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.”
Paul writes to the Church in Corinth about orderly worship. He stresses to them that everything be done in a fitting and harmonious way. (I Corinthians 14:40) When we see disunity within the Body, we know this is not of God…for He is the God of peace. (Romans 15:33) As Believers, we need to be seeking balance and mutual agreement…not causing turmoil and commotion just to make a point. Many a Church has faced divided factions only to self-destruct rather than build bridges of unity. And Satan smiles every time a Church self-implodes rather than attempts to reconcile the Body.
II Peter 1:2 ” Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”
Today, this Scripture would be my prayer for you…no matter where you are in your walk with the Lord. I ask that God’s grace and peace…His unearned and unmerited favor, would be lavished on you, and that you would come to realize just how much He loves you. Great word lavish! It speaks of profusion, extravagance, and of showering down abundantly. It’s used in I John 3:1, where it states, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” I pray that you would experience that abundant love for yourself today.
Micah 7:7 ” But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.”
I don’t know about you, but patience has never been one of my greatest attributes. I want something to happen now, not later…and I get antsy and anxious when I have to wait. But if you look carefully at this Scripture, you’ll see Micah concluded there are two things we need to do…watch and wait. So, what does it take to successfully watch and wait for the Lord? In a word – it takes trust. To trust in the Lord is not a one time, one size fits all event. Trusting in God is an ongoing, ever-growing, process of waiting in hopeful expectation and increasing belief that He will do what He says. Our job isn’t to manufacture the outcome…or job is to rest in Him, waiting and watching as He does the work in our life.
Romans 12:18 ” If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
We can’t force others into peaceful co-existence with us…we can only control how we react and behave around angry people. You know the ones…people with huge chips on their shoulders…always thinking the world is out to get them. It takes a conscious decision of the will on our part not to take the bait when attacked. It takes lots of deep breaths and determination not to lower ourselves down to that level…and sometimes, it takes just walking away for a few minutes to regain our composure and pray. “Lord, help me look past the angry hostility and see rather the hurt, the fear, the frustration. Allow me Lord to see this person through Your eyes and how I may show Your love to them.” Amen
John 20: 22 ” And with that He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’ “
We find the disciples hunkered down, doors locked, fearing what might happen to them…when suddenly Jesus shows up! And during this short interaction these frightened men went from fainthearted to fearless. So what was it? It was the 3 “P”s. First it says that Jesus came and stood among them and showed them His hands and side. His presence was undisputable to them now…the Resurrection beyond doubt. Next was Jesus’s greeting, “Peace be with you!” This type of peace supersedes anything we can imagine…it is brought about by God’s infinite mercy, granting deliverance and freedom from all distresses. Finally, Jesus breathed on them and they received the power of the Holy Spirit. His presence, peace and power turned a rag-tag group of men into a force to be reckoned with.
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