Through the promises of God, spiritual rest can be experienced by all who believe. Initially, those who believe enjoy rest from the guilt and condemnation of sin. Additionally, those whose faith embraces more of the promises of God can enjoy rest from carnal striving and worldly indulgence.
Devotional is an excerpt from “Day By Day Grace” by Bob Hoekstra
Yesterday we discussed some of the reasons that peace is so elusive in todays world. Today we continue our series on the search for peace by looking at ways we can overcome the things that rob us of our joy and hinder our peace.
The world around us is in chaos. Evil appears to be winning the war. And yet, in John 14:27 we find that the Lord Himself gives us the assurance of peace.
Is there a solution? The answer is “yes”. But in order to get to there, we must come to realize and accept some basic truths from God’s word.
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4)
“My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, And come to an end without hope. Remember that my life is but breath; My eye will not again see good”. (Job 7:6-7)
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. (Romans 7:18-19)
Peace, true peace, is possible. The question we must ask ourselves, “am I willing to search for it and, when necessary, fight for it”?
In our Bible study group this week we had a lesson on peace as a grace which is produced by the Fruit of the Spirit. Every woman in the room agreed that she could use more peace in her life. Over the next few days, we will look at some of the things that contribute to anxiety and rob us of our peace and we will discuss how we can be overcomers.
While anxiety can affect anyone, its most vulnerable victims are women and young people.
One major enemy to our peace is anxiety. As the the things of our world become more and more uncertain, anxiety becomes more and more prevalent. While anxiety can affect anyone, its most vulnerable victims are women and young people. According to a 2020 survey by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (yes, apparently there is an anxiety organization), an estimated 31% of Americans will suffer an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. Think about that, among three of your friends, it is likely that one of them is suffering with anxiety.
The Greek word for anxiety comes from the root word merizo which means to divide, separate, or sever. There was a time when life, from a moral standpoint, was black and white. Right was right, and wrong was wrong. Those are not the days in which we are currently living. These days man does “what is right in his own eyes”. When even the so called experts cannot agree on when life begins, what defines gender, or what constitutes child exploitation, and so many other issues, is it any wonder that our society, our relationships, and even our minds are divided?
Peace-robbing division doesn’t end with our human relationships. In fact, the greatest source of our anxiety is our divided mind concerning the things of God. Suddenly (or so it seems), professing Christians are in disagreement on the sovereignty of God, the existence of the Trinity, and the infallibility of the Bible. These are the things which have always been accepted by the Church as indisputable truths, but no longer. The wolves have snuck in and the very foundation our faith has been shaken. Without a plumb line against which to measure truth, we can have no sure sense of direction, no peace.
In tomorrow’s post we will continue our search for peace by exploring what God’s word has to say about how we can have “true peace”.
You are a messenger of peace!
When Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matt. 5:9), He was referring to a special group of people whom God called to restore the peace that was forfeited because of sin. They may not be politicians, statesmen, diplomats, kings, presidents, or Nobel Prize winners, but they hold the key to true and lasting peace.
As a Christian, you are among that select group of peacemakers. As such you have two primary responsibilities. The first is to help others make peace with God. There is no greater privilege. The best way to do that is to preach the gospel of peace with clarity so people understand their alienation from God and seek reconciliation. Romans 10:15 says, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things!” The early church preached peace through Christ, and that is your privilege as well.
Your second responsibility is to help reconcile believers to one another. That’s a very important issue to God. He won’t accept worship from those who are at odds with each other. They must first deal with the conflict (Matt. 5:23-24). That is especially true within a family. Peter warned husbands to treat their wives properly so their prayers wouldn’t be hindered (1 Pet. 3:7).
Peacemakers don’t avoid spiritual conflicts—they speak the truth in love and allow the Spirit to minister through them to bring reconciliation. If you see someone who is alienated from God, you are to present him or her with the gospel of peace. If you see two Christians fighting, you are to do everything you can to help them resolve their differences in a righteous manner.
Of course to be an effective peacemaker you must maintain your own peace with God. Sin in your life will disrupt peace and prevent you from dispensing God’s peace to others. Therefore continually guard your heart and confess your sin so that God can use you as His peacemaker.
Suggestions for Prayer
Pray for those close to you who don’t know Christ. Take every opportunity to tell them of God’s peace.
For Further Study
Read 2 Corinthians 5:17-21.
• How did Paul describe the ministry of reconciliation?
• What was Christ’s role in reconciling man to God?
From Drawing Near by John MacArthur Copyright © 1993. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187,
Heart2Heart Women 