Peace
Monday, December 2 Colossians 3:15-17
“Let the peace of Christ rule in yourhearts”
The New English Bible renders it, “LetChrist’s peace be arbiter in yourhearts.” This is a colorful picture thatcomes from the athletic arena, and Paul is encouraging us to let the peace of Christact as the umpire of our hearts. Ourhearts are arenas of conflict and competition. All sorts of feeling clash within: jumbled up passion and love, fear andhope, jealousy and trust, cynicism and goodwill, indifference and concern,suspicion and confidence. How are all ofthese feelings to be arbitrated? What orwho is the umpire to settle the clashes?
Let Christ be the umpire. Not only is he the arbiter of all my innerclashings, of the civil war that rages inside me. He is also the one who can umpire in myinterpersonal relationships, in my family, in the world and in the church; inhim we have the key factor for getting along together – his decision willalways be based on his primary criteria: what response reflects love for Godand love for neighbor? Decide that andact on it, and the peace of Christ will “rule” in every dispute.
Youhave called me to live in peace, Lord, so rule in my heart. Amen.
Tuesday, December 3 Isaiah 9:2-7
“His ever expandingpeaceful government will never end”
The world today is consumed with a desirefor peace and a fear of war. Not theleast of the trouble spots is the Middle East. Peace there has been the pursuitfor centuries. Stronger countriesbelieve that peace must be negotiated from a position of power; radical groupsbelieve that terror will force the issue. But we are left with a more dangerous and morefrightening world than ever before. Andwe are left wondering if anyone is really interested in peace and righteousnessand justice for all, or just in securing their own interests?
The problem is the presence of evil. It sets brother against brother, and nationagainst nation. Ultimately, the world’sgloom and despair is linked to spiritual darkness. The Bible comforts and reminds those of uswho have come to trust in Jesus Christ not to despair as if there is no hope. Against the background of the prophecy of warand destruction, darkness and gloom, Isaiah gave the prophecy about theMessiah. We believe that Jesus Christ isthat Messiah. This Messianic Prophecyholds out hope for peace and righteousness through the reign of Jesus the Messiah.
We pray for the day, Jesus Messiah, whenyour peace will reign everywhere. Amen.
Wednesday, December 4 Psalm 122:1-9
“Pray for the peaceof Jerusalem”
Our attitude toward God will determine ourview of worship. Going to the house ofthe Lord can be a chore or a delight. Whatthe temple in Jerusalem was for the Israelites, the church should be for ustoday. The Israelites went up toJerusalem three times a year to the great festivals. A pilgrim attending one of these religiousfestivals rejoiced to worship with God’s people in God’s house. As this chapter begins we find a group ofpilgrims very excited, singing this psalm, as they make their ascent to the“City of God.”
The psalmist was not praying for his ownpeace and prosperity, but for that of his family and friends in Jerusalem. This is an intercessory prayer on behalf ofothers. The peace sought in these versesis much more than the absence of conflict. It suggests completeness, health, justice, and protection. The world can’t provide this kind ofpeace. Real peace comes from faith inGod because he alone manifests all the characteristics of peace.
Toooften, Lord, I am quick to pray for my own needs and desires, and omit prayingfor others. I want to make it my practice to pray for the peace of the world everyday. Amen.
Thursday, December 5 Ephesians 2:11-18
“Christ himself has made peace between us”
The apostle Paul reminds these GentileChristians of their former identity. Theywere spiritually unclean because they did not keep the Jewish law. The Jews made it painfully clear to theGentiles that they did not belong to the covenant community of Israel,derisively labeling them as “The Uncircumcised.” The former condition of these GentileChristians is summed up in these awful words: “having no hope and being withoutGod in the world.” They were separated fromIsrael physically and separated from God spiritually; in other words, they were“far away.”
But now in Christ Jesus those whopreviously were “far away” have been brought “near” by the blood of Christ. He is our peace. When he died on the cross he destroyed the sourceof the division by making available forgiveness foreveryone, Jew as well as Gentile. We donot experience the same division between Jew and Gentile in our church today,but do we hold on to other divisions based on political or socio-economicdifferences? While the issues may havechanged, the principle is still the same: in Christ, we are to live in peacewith one another.
Thank you, Jesus,for being the source of our peace with one another. Amen.
Friday, December 6 Numbers 6:22-26
“The Lord turn hisface toward you and give you peace”
God keeps his people. Security is God’s firstblessing, given to all who trust in him. Insecurity was the mark of Eden. God's face shone, his face was lifted up uponAdam and Eve, but he warned them there was danger in the midst of all theirblessings. The danger was to trustsomeone or something else, including themselves, more than they trustedGod. The result was the loss ofblessing.
God is gracious to his people. He heaps onthem tokens of his favor, just as one friend heaps presents on another. If we see a person enjoying a great number ofgifts from another, we judge that he is regarded with special kindness.
God gives peace. Hisface turned toward us when he saved us from our sin. There is a look of God which fills with dismay, and makeshumanity call to the mountains to hide them from his presence. But there is a look of God which fills thesoul with peace as he says to it, "I am your salvation.” Our restless soul has found its rest in God.
I rest in your love, Father, for you haveblessed my soul with peace. Amen.
Saturday, December 7 Philippians 4:4-9
“The peace of God . . . will guard your hearts and your minds in ChristJesus”
Anxiety, worry, confusion of mind,pressures of daily life, and uncertainty about the future are all problems weexperience. Anxiety, in the way Paul isusing the term, and the way we most often experience it, is the futile,frustrating, debilitating attempt to bear the burdens of life and especially ofthe future, ourselves, alone. TheChristian answer to anxiety is confident prayer which brings about “the peaceof God.”
Paul’s offer of prayer is not an easysolution; this is not a magic formula, a mere bedtime repetition of words thatwe have labeled prayer. He is talkingabout the serious business of bringing our lives before God, examining ourdependence upon God, placing our lives in God’s hands to be used by him,remembering and celebrating what God has already done. When we pray in this manner, we receive God’speace which gives us hope and confidence, strengthening us to carry on with joywhen the burdens are heavy and the pathway rough. Thus, God’s peace becomes an inward sentinelguarding our hearts and minds against disrupting anxiety.
Dear Jesus, Iwill be prayerful about everything, thereby anxious about nothing. Amen.