“While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ ” (Luke 24:36)
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (Jesus, in John 14:27)
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (Jesus, in John 16:33)
The word peace occurs 247 times in the Bible. My favorite verses on the subject are the ones quoted above, when Jesus speaks to his disciples after His death, burial and resurrection. The men and women to whom he appears are in a panic: shocked, confused, despondent. Sudden circumstances have rendered them afraid and uncertain. Sound familiar? No, the markets had not fallen 25% that week. Home values had not eroded. But far worse, their beloved teacher and Lord had been tortured, executed and buried. The One in whom they had placed their trust was gone, or so it seemed. Into their fear and doubt, Jesus arrives with four power-packed words: “Peace be with you.” He knows exactly what they need, and He delivers it. He is the same peace-giving Messiah today. He remains loving and faithful to bring us peace in the midst of the current uncertainty, if only we will resist the temptation to panic, and place our trust in His care for us.
Heavenly Father, God of peace, thank you that the Prince of Peace died in our stead to secure our salvation and place in heaven, and to secure the peace in our hearts and minds that we may enjoy in this present age as we trust in Your goodness. Amen.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
God's Compassion -- And Ours
“Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.” (Isaiah 49:13)
“But I pray to you, O LORD, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation... Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me. Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble. Come near and rescue me; redeem me because of my foes.” (Psalm 69:13,16-18)
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)
O Lord, we rejoice in your love and forgiveness! You are faithful to comfort us, to lavish us with heavenly compassion. Father, you have answered us in our distress and come to us in our time of trouble. We thank you, not only with words, but with resolve to extend your compassion and forgiveness to others today. Lead us, we pray, as we carry Christ’s compassion to the desperate, the fearful, the hope-deprived. Amen.
“But I pray to you, O LORD, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation... Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me. Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble. Come near and rescue me; redeem me because of my foes.” (Psalm 69:13,16-18)
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)
O Lord, we rejoice in your love and forgiveness! You are faithful to comfort us, to lavish us with heavenly compassion. Father, you have answered us in our distress and come to us in our time of trouble. We thank you, not only with words, but with resolve to extend your compassion and forgiveness to others today. Lead us, we pray, as we carry Christ’s compassion to the desperate, the fearful, the hope-deprived. Amen.
Harvest Time (Sept. 22)
“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that His ways may be known on earth, His salvation among all nations.” (Psalm 67:1-2)
“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’ ” (Matthew 9:35-38)
“Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” (John 4:35)
Gracious God, Heavenly Father, and Lord of the harvest, as we move into the beauty of autumn, we thank you for loving us with a perfect love. You have blessed us abundantly, O God. With grateful hearts, we pray that you will make your salvation known among the nations through us. Thank you that you have sent us out — and that you have brought the world to our doorstep. Work through us, we pray, in our offices and neighborhoods, in our families and communities, in our day-to-day encounters. We go forth in your name, and in your power, to bring the hope of Jesus to the hurting, the lonely, the lost, the “harassed and helpless.” Let us be part of your reaping of a great harvest of souls that are destined to come fully alive in you. Amen.
“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’ ” (Matthew 9:35-38)
“Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” (John 4:35)
Gracious God, Heavenly Father, and Lord of the harvest, as we move into the beauty of autumn, we thank you for loving us with a perfect love. You have blessed us abundantly, O God. With grateful hearts, we pray that you will make your salvation known among the nations through us. Thank you that you have sent us out — and that you have brought the world to our doorstep. Work through us, we pray, in our offices and neighborhoods, in our families and communities, in our day-to-day encounters. We go forth in your name, and in your power, to bring the hope of Jesus to the hurting, the lonely, the lost, the “harassed and helpless.” Let us be part of your reaping of a great harvest of souls that are destined to come fully alive in you. Amen.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Strength in Weakness
“So man will be brought low and mankind humbled. But the Lord Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will show himself holy by his righteousness.” (Isaiah 5:15)
“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take [the thorn] away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (Paul, in 2 Corinthians 12:8-10)
One of the main threads woven through the Bible is the idea that true strength comes not from human power, but from a humble acknowledgment of weakness and a desperate dependence upon divine power. This theme is perhaps best captured in the image of a helpless baby, born in squalor, marked for suffering and death…but destined to rise triumphant as the mighty Savior of mankind. I’m not sure about you, but it takes me about 15 seconds each morning to remember my weaknesses. (Some days, just rolling out of bed can serve as an instant humbler.) I hope you find it as encouraging as I do, then, that the Lord not only knows and understands our weaknesses — be they spiritual, physical, intellectual, emotional, etc. — but that he loves to display his strength through us when we realize we are at our weakest.
Heavenly Father and Lord Almighty, we praise you today for your strength and holiness and righteousness, and we thank you that you meet us in our weakness to show your mighty power through our lives. When we are weak, then we are strong in you. Fill us afresh with joy and expectation today as we rely upon your strength. Amen.
“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take [the thorn] away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (Paul, in 2 Corinthians 12:8-10)
One of the main threads woven through the Bible is the idea that true strength comes not from human power, but from a humble acknowledgment of weakness and a desperate dependence upon divine power. This theme is perhaps best captured in the image of a helpless baby, born in squalor, marked for suffering and death…but destined to rise triumphant as the mighty Savior of mankind. I’m not sure about you, but it takes me about 15 seconds each morning to remember my weaknesses. (Some days, just rolling out of bed can serve as an instant humbler.) I hope you find it as encouraging as I do, then, that the Lord not only knows and understands our weaknesses — be they spiritual, physical, intellectual, emotional, etc. — but that he loves to display his strength through us when we realize we are at our weakest.
Heavenly Father and Lord Almighty, we praise you today for your strength and holiness and righteousness, and we thank you that you meet us in our weakness to show your mighty power through our lives. When we are weak, then we are strong in you. Fill us afresh with joy and expectation today as we rely upon your strength. Amen.
Monday, August 11, 2008
"We Are A Team" -- Olympic Interdependence
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up... Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10,12)
“…speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Jesus Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Ephesians 4:15-16)
“We’re a team. We went in as a team and now we’re exiting as a team—and we’re going out with that gold that we needed to get back.” (Michael Phelps, after the men’s Olympic 4x100 freestyle relay)
It’s a good thing this isn’t an audio devotional, because I just about lost my voice screaming during the final leg of the men’s 4x100 freestyle relay last night. The U.S. team edged France for swimming gold thanks to a stunning anchor-leg comeback. And yet, as easy as it might be to focus on Jason Lezak’s finishing kick, it took all four swimmers performing at their peak to claim victory and shatter the world record. Each athlete was dependent on the three others. It’s the same in the body of Christ. I’m called to complete a key “leg” as a follower of Jesus, and so are you. None of us is more, or less, important than any other. And we are interdependent; we only function as God intends when we function united as essential parts of the “body of Christ.” It takes all of us, submitting to the Lord’s leadership, to bring glory to His name and to make a life-changing difference in those He has called us to serve.
Heavenly Father, in a world that often glorifies independence, isolation and self-attainment, thank you for a timely reminder that two are better than one. We are dependent on You first—as the strongest link in our “cord of three strands”—and also on one another. Lead me, by your Spirit, not only to do my work today but also to join with others in advancing Your kingdom of love and truth together. Amen.
“…speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Jesus Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Ephesians 4:15-16)
“We’re a team. We went in as a team and now we’re exiting as a team—and we’re going out with that gold that we needed to get back.” (Michael Phelps, after the men’s Olympic 4x100 freestyle relay)
It’s a good thing this isn’t an audio devotional, because I just about lost my voice screaming during the final leg of the men’s 4x100 freestyle relay last night. The U.S. team edged France for swimming gold thanks to a stunning anchor-leg comeback. And yet, as easy as it might be to focus on Jason Lezak’s finishing kick, it took all four swimmers performing at their peak to claim victory and shatter the world record. Each athlete was dependent on the three others. It’s the same in the body of Christ. I’m called to complete a key “leg” as a follower of Jesus, and so are you. None of us is more, or less, important than any other. And we are interdependent; we only function as God intends when we function united as essential parts of the “body of Christ.” It takes all of us, submitting to the Lord’s leadership, to bring glory to His name and to make a life-changing difference in those He has called us to serve.
Heavenly Father, in a world that often glorifies independence, isolation and self-attainment, thank you for a timely reminder that two are better than one. We are dependent on You first—as the strongest link in our “cord of three strands”—and also on one another. Lead me, by your Spirit, not only to do my work today but also to join with others in advancing Your kingdom of love and truth together. Amen.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
The Carnival, The Christ, and A Joyful Chorus
“[Jesus] got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, ‘Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?’ They were terrified and asked each other, ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!’ ” (Mark 4:39-41)
This past Sunday morning—day three of a four-day cruise to Cozumel celebrating my parents-in-law’s 50th wedding anniversary—I walked out of the stateroom spiritually hungry and thirsty. In the midst of so much pleasure, aboard a ship aptly dubbed The Fantasy, I was eager for the reality of Christ-centered fellowship and a chance to praise the Master of the high seas...but aware that Carnival offered no such activity. Then I heard it. As I entered the ship’s grand atrium, a chorus of strong voices and piano rang out from a side room. It turned out that a large group of friends from West Monroe, Louisiana, had booked the room for a service. Welcomed in, my wife and I spent the next hour joining voice and heart in a powerful time of praise, prayer, and an encouraging message from the Scriptures about loving the Lord above all else. It didn’t matter that we’d never met, or that we happened to be the only “Caucasians” in the room, or that we probably would never see these brethren again. The spiritual bond was instantaneous, and we were reminded that there are no strangers in God’s kingdom! This hour proved to be one of the highlights of our vacation—a great gift from a gracious Father.
“Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!’ ” (Revelation 5:13)
Heavenly Father, Master of the land and of the sea, thank you for surprising us at times with opportunities to praise and exalt you, no matter where we find ourselves. Continue to receive our praise and gratitude as we seek to glorify Your name in all that we think, say and do. Amen.
This past Sunday morning—day three of a four-day cruise to Cozumel celebrating my parents-in-law’s 50th wedding anniversary—I walked out of the stateroom spiritually hungry and thirsty. In the midst of so much pleasure, aboard a ship aptly dubbed The Fantasy, I was eager for the reality of Christ-centered fellowship and a chance to praise the Master of the high seas...but aware that Carnival offered no such activity. Then I heard it. As I entered the ship’s grand atrium, a chorus of strong voices and piano rang out from a side room. It turned out that a large group of friends from West Monroe, Louisiana, had booked the room for a service. Welcomed in, my wife and I spent the next hour joining voice and heart in a powerful time of praise, prayer, and an encouraging message from the Scriptures about loving the Lord above all else. It didn’t matter that we’d never met, or that we happened to be the only “Caucasians” in the room, or that we probably would never see these brethren again. The spiritual bond was instantaneous, and we were reminded that there are no strangers in God’s kingdom! This hour proved to be one of the highlights of our vacation—a great gift from a gracious Father.
“Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!’ ” (Revelation 5:13)
Heavenly Father, Master of the land and of the sea, thank you for surprising us at times with opportunities to praise and exalt you, no matter where we find ourselves. Continue to receive our praise and gratitude as we seek to glorify Your name in all that we think, say and do. Amen.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Take Courage
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah, in Isaiah 41:10)
“In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (Jesus, in John 16:33)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Paul, in Philippians 4:6-7)
What is your greatest fear today? What circumstance seems about ready to overwhelm you? In the face of whatever anxiety is crouching at your door, the Word for today is: Pause, take a deep breath, and let the promises of today’s Scriptures wash over you. Do not fear… Take courage… Do not be anxious… The peace of God stands ready to set a guard around your heart and mind. Invite the Lord into your place of anxiety, listen for His voice, and take courage that His presence is your security in all circumstances. Trust that He is good, and loving, and faithful to strengthen and help all who turn to Him in time of need.
Eternal God and merciful Heavenly Father, we are desperate for You today. We hunger to know You more deeply; we thirst for a cool drink of Your gracious, loving presence. We come to You again, placing our fears and failures, our hurts and needs, at Your feet. We trust that You will uphold us and grant us peace that passes understanding. Amen.
“In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (Jesus, in John 16:33)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Paul, in Philippians 4:6-7)
What is your greatest fear today? What circumstance seems about ready to overwhelm you? In the face of whatever anxiety is crouching at your door, the Word for today is: Pause, take a deep breath, and let the promises of today’s Scriptures wash over you. Do not fear… Take courage… Do not be anxious… The peace of God stands ready to set a guard around your heart and mind. Invite the Lord into your place of anxiety, listen for His voice, and take courage that His presence is your security in all circumstances. Trust that He is good, and loving, and faithful to strengthen and help all who turn to Him in time of need.
Eternal God and merciful Heavenly Father, we are desperate for You today. We hunger to know You more deeply; we thirst for a cool drink of Your gracious, loving presence. We come to You again, placing our fears and failures, our hurts and needs, at Your feet. We trust that You will uphold us and grant us peace that passes understanding. Amen.
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