8-5-2024

Good Morning All,

            John 14: 27; “I’m leaving you peace. I’m giving you my peace. I don’t give you the kind of peace that the world gives. So don’t be troubled or cowardly.”

     I bumped into a friend that I hadn’t talked to for quite a while.  We went through the usual “how are the kids and the grandkids?” questions.  Then I remembered that he had a brother-in-law who was having a re-occurrence of cancer, and the prognosis wasn’t good.  I remember the guy was married to my friend’s sister.  They had lived a tough life.  They lost a child in a case of SIDS and really struggled for a while.  Then they caught a break, and he got a really good job, and things seemed to get better; then he was diagnosed with cancer.  This was the third relapse, and it was probably the final one.  It had spread to his liver and kidneys.

    I asked how his sister was holding up.  He thought she was doing remarkably well.  She had her friends who were around her, she had her friends that she prayed with, and the rest of their family was helping as best they could.  Then he sighed and said, “I don’t know what to say or what to pray for?”  “I don’t want him to suffer but I can’t pray that he dies, what do I pray for?”  I told him to pray for peace.  Pray that your brother-in-law has peace with God and his family.  Pray that your sister has peace and enough faith to battle this.  When in doubt always pray for peace.

    Of all the things we pray for, whether it is more success or more money or more friends or better health; our number one prayer should be for peace.  Peace from God that lets us weather the storms that life throws at us.  Peace to enable us to hold onto God’s mercy at all times.  Peace is the one gift that we all have and can always use.  God gives it freely to us, as much and as often as we need.  It is the one thing that we can ask for and God will always give it to us.  Peace is what we really need in this life.

    When we ask for peace, God shows us the futility of the sinful life.  He shows us that the rat race is just that- a race for rats.  We find our happiness, contentment, our blessed existence when we are in peace with God.  This was one of the first blessings offered at Jesus’ birth; peace on earth.  It was peace that Jesus offered his frightened disciples both before and after his crucifixion.  It is what gave Peter and the others the comfort that they needed when they faced the deadly challenges of the Jews and then the Romans.  Peace is what gets us through.

    So next time you pray, pray for peace.  Pray that you will have peace, that your friends and family will have peace, pray that peace will be to all in need.  Ask God to send you his peace which passes all understanding. 

Father of all grace and peace, we only have peace in you.  Without your mercy our world knows no peace.  As we struggle with the battles of this life, Father we ask for peace, peace from you.  Be with those who know no peace.  Gracious Lord, you know their pain.  If it is your will release them from this pain and give them peace.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret