1-29-2017

Good Morning All,

           Mark 9:50b; “and be at peace with one another.”

      The world claims it desires peace.  Yet how does the world define peace?  Most of the time, peace is the absence of violence.  Unfortunately this usually means getting ready for the next battle to occur.  This is true of nations, of neighbors even of families.  Too often we see peace as what I get when you lose.  We seek peace but it is often a fleeting thing and hard to have.

    Some of this is because of all the outside pressure that the world applies to us.  The pressure that the world exerts with all the force it has often causes us to crack.  The stress can be great and peace is hard to find.  So if we want peace, we need to see how God desires peace for us.

    Peace is one of God’s greatest gifts for us.  Peace allows us to rest.  Peace allows us to be part of God’s designed rhythm of rest and work.  This is part of the reason that God made the Sabbath; it gives us a chance to rest and to find some peace.  Peace gives us the sense of comfort in his arms.

    Another part of peace is the need to forgive and to receive forgiveness.  Where there is no forgiveness, there is no peace.  This simple truth speaks a lot to us.  If you are unwilling to forgive, you will have no peace because you are not at peace with each other.  If you have no peace with someone, your friend or your spouse or a family member, seek to reconcile with them.  Seek out each other and pray for peace and ask each other for forgiveness and when you speak forgiveness; mean it; truly mean and desire to have peace with each other.

     Perhaps the hardest place to find peace is with our self.  This can be the hardest to find because we know how our heart and our sinful nature knows our fears.  Our sinful nature will attack our sense of peace; using fear, worry and painful memories.  Our peace is attacked by the devil and our sinful nature by questioning our health, our wealth, our hopes and dreams, even drawing on painful experiences from years gone by.  The devil spares no effort in seeking to keep you from peace.

    Yet God wants you to be at peace.  He gives us peace which will give us the comfort to face today.  We have the certainty of our eternal salvation and we have the promise of comfort for today’s problems.  God comes to us with his grace and mercy, using His Word to remind us of his promises, his sacraments to renew and refresh us and our brothers and sisters in Christ to be his hands, arms, shoulders and voice of flesh and blood love and compassion.  God wants us to be at peace with Him and with each other so we can live the life He desires us to have.

Gracious Father, we give you thanks for peace.  We give you thanks for the rest that we receive from your peace.  Give us the power and wisdom to seek peace with our brothers and sisters in Christ that we may live as you desire.  Make us your peacemakers among men.  Be with those who are engaged in a battle or struggle at this time.  Send them your Spirit of peace that they too may walk in peace with you.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret