Scripture: 2 Peter 3:14-18
Summary: While you are waiting for the day of the Lord, strive to be found at peace, without blemish. Some of what Paul wrote is hard to understand. Grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ.
Thoughts: The writer says "while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace." This is what I long for in my life, to be at peace. Even when the world is crazy around me, I long for the peace of God. If I have God's peace, then I find that the insanity of the world around me doesn't take me along with it. I am able to resist the temptation to be drawn into the whirlwind. But my ability to achieve this peace is fleeting. I am often found wanting in this regard. So that is what I pray for today. Peace for me, peace for my family, peace for my church, peace for my community, and peace for the world. For we have been too long without it. And by "growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" we can learn how to be at peace.
Prayer: Give me peace, Oh Lord. Help me to spend more time growing in your grace so that I can share it with others. Amen.
Showing posts with label peace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label peace. Show all posts
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
1Peter 3:10-12 - Running After Peace
Scripture: 1Peter 3:10-12
Summary: If you desire life, don't speak evil or deceit. Instead do good and seek peace. God's eyes are on the righteous, God's ears open to their prayers. God's face is against evil doers.
Thoughts: Right in the middle of this scripture, I am struck by the sentence "turn away from evil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it." The author not only encourages the readers to seek peace, but to pursue it. This emphasis on peace strikes me as interesting. Don't just look for peace. Instead you should run after it. Don't just glance around you as you go through life, looking for peace wherever you might be. Instead you should go to where the peace is. What does this mean for me in my life? I shouldn't just work for peace when it is convenient to me, but I should be going out of my way to encourage peace. I should work for peace with those I see every day. I should work for peace in my neighborhood. I should work for peace in my country. I should work for peace in the world.
Prayer: God of peace, remind me daily of my task to be a peacemaker in your world. Amen.
Summary: If you desire life, don't speak evil or deceit. Instead do good and seek peace. God's eyes are on the righteous, God's ears open to their prayers. God's face is against evil doers.
Thoughts: Right in the middle of this scripture, I am struck by the sentence "turn away from evil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it." The author not only encourages the readers to seek peace, but to pursue it. This emphasis on peace strikes me as interesting. Don't just look for peace. Instead you should run after it. Don't just glance around you as you go through life, looking for peace wherever you might be. Instead you should go to where the peace is. What does this mean for me in my life? I shouldn't just work for peace when it is convenient to me, but I should be going out of my way to encourage peace. I should work for peace with those I see every day. I should work for peace in my neighborhood. I should work for peace in my country. I should work for peace in the world.
Prayer: God of peace, remind me daily of my task to be a peacemaker in your world. Amen.
Monday, December 6, 2010
1 Peter 1:1-2 - Are You Chosen?
Scripture: 1 Peter 1:1-2
Summary: Peter lists several church to whom he is writing this letter. He says they were chosen and destined by God and sanctified by the Holy Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ.
Thoughts: I think it might be easy to read this Scripture and think that the author is saying that only certain people are chosen by God. There are several groups who believe themselves the chosen few. If you are not one of them, you are definitely not chosen by God and are not going to be wih God after you die. I always wonder how they bring new people in to their group. How do they know who is chosen?! These beliefs don't line up, however, with my image of God. I believe in a God who loves all of us, who loves creation, who weeps with us and rejoices with us. This God that I believe in has chosen each of us and is waiting for us to choose back. This God came to earth in human form to show us the love of God in person. This God is best captured by the last line of this text: "May grace and peace be yours in abundance." God wants us to be in relationship with God and wants us to have grace and peace in abundance!
Prayer: God, you have chosen each of us. Let us also choose to be in relationship with you, so that we might have grace and peace in abundance! Amen.
Summary: Peter lists several church to whom he is writing this letter. He says they were chosen and destined by God and sanctified by the Holy Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ.
Thoughts: I think it might be easy to read this Scripture and think that the author is saying that only certain people are chosen by God. There are several groups who believe themselves the chosen few. If you are not one of them, you are definitely not chosen by God and are not going to be wih God after you die. I always wonder how they bring new people in to their group. How do they know who is chosen?! These beliefs don't line up, however, with my image of God. I believe in a God who loves all of us, who loves creation, who weeps with us and rejoices with us. This God that I believe in has chosen each of us and is waiting for us to choose back. This God came to earth in human form to show us the love of God in person. This God is best captured by the last line of this text: "May grace and peace be yours in abundance." God wants us to be in relationship with God and wants us to have grace and peace in abundance!
Prayer: God, you have chosen each of us. Let us also choose to be in relationship with you, so that we might have grace and peace in abundance! Amen.
Monday, April 14, 2008
John 20:19-23 - From Fear to Courage
Scripture: John 20:19-23
Summary: After Jesus' resurrection, the disciples have locked themselves in a room for fear of the Jews. Jesus appears in the midst of them, saying "Peace be with you." Then he breathes on them so that they receive the Holy Spirit.
Thoughts: Peace be with you. This is the first thing that Jesus says to the disciples when he appears before them in the locked room. He knows that they are afraid of the Jews. They are afraid of falling prey to the same group of people who crucified Jesus. But Jesus comes to them and tells them twice, to have peace. Our lives are never going to be easy. Becoming a Christian doesn't remove all the problems from our lives. But it does give us someone who will face those problems with us. Jesus gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit to transform our lives, to help us live in the dream of God, rather than the nightmare of earthly desires. Through the gift of the Spirit our lives can be transformed, and we can begin to transform the world around us.
Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come. Abide in us and remind us daily of Jesus' words: Peace be with you. Amen.
Summary: After Jesus' resurrection, the disciples have locked themselves in a room for fear of the Jews. Jesus appears in the midst of them, saying "Peace be with you." Then he breathes on them so that they receive the Holy Spirit.
Thoughts: Peace be with you. This is the first thing that Jesus says to the disciples when he appears before them in the locked room. He knows that they are afraid of the Jews. They are afraid of falling prey to the same group of people who crucified Jesus. But Jesus comes to them and tells them twice, to have peace. Our lives are never going to be easy. Becoming a Christian doesn't remove all the problems from our lives. But it does give us someone who will face those problems with us. Jesus gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit to transform our lives, to help us live in the dream of God, rather than the nightmare of earthly desires. Through the gift of the Spirit our lives can be transformed, and we can begin to transform the world around us.
Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come. Abide in us and remind us daily of Jesus' words: Peace be with you. Amen.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Psalm 34:11-22 - No condemnation
Scripture: Psalm 34:11-22
Summary: This psalm teaches us "the fear of the Lord." It says that no one who takes refuge in God will be condemned.
Thoughts: The psalmist offers us instruction on the fear of the Lord. Our tasks are: to keep from speaking deceit, depart from evil, do good, seek peace, and pursue it. This seems like a short enough list. But when you look at the details it becomes much more difficult. Even the easiest, to keep from speaking lies, is difficult to do every day! How much more so will we struggle to seek peace. Sometimes it seems impossible to pursue peace, even in our own neighborhood, our own house. How much more complicated to seek peace as a nation! But that is what God asks us to do. Over and over in the Bible God urges us toward peace.
Prayer: God of peace, give me the courage to seek peace everywhere that I go today. Help me to seek it at home with my family, in my neighborhood, at my church, in my country, even in the world. For it is through the efforts of each of us that you are able to bring your peace to all of us. Amen.
Summary: This psalm teaches us "the fear of the Lord." It says that no one who takes refuge in God will be condemned.
Thoughts: The psalmist offers us instruction on the fear of the Lord. Our tasks are: to keep from speaking deceit, depart from evil, do good, seek peace, and pursue it. This seems like a short enough list. But when you look at the details it becomes much more difficult. Even the easiest, to keep from speaking lies, is difficult to do every day! How much more so will we struggle to seek peace. Sometimes it seems impossible to pursue peace, even in our own neighborhood, our own house. How much more complicated to seek peace as a nation! But that is what God asks us to do. Over and over in the Bible God urges us toward peace.
Prayer: God of peace, give me the courage to seek peace everywhere that I go today. Help me to seek it at home with my family, in my neighborhood, at my church, in my country, even in the world. For it is through the efforts of each of us that you are able to bring your peace to all of us. Amen.
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