Tag: Peace

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One and Only

Daily Reading

Psalm 90–95

Daily Thought

Life is competition. There is always something bigger, something better, someone smarter, someone stronger. We are in a constant quest for improvement and achievement and growth.

It is true in everything, except one thing, our God. There is no God bigger, no God better, no God smarter, no God stronger. No other God.

Good can become better, and better can become best. Even best can improve, achieve, grow. But it all comes to rest at Ultimate, the Most High, the One and Only. There is a place of rest, one place, and only one place, where we do not strive for more because we cannot strive for more. The Hebrews call this Shalom, a place of wholeness and holiness, of peace and rest, “my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust” (Psalm 91:2).

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. ~Psalm 91:1

Daily Prayer

Oh Lord our God, You are One, the One and Only God. You sent Your Son, Your One and Only Son, to seek and to save the lost. Me. All of us. Thank You for Your grace and love. Your love for sinners sets You apart from anything else. All love is measured by You, who, while we were still sinners, died on the cross for our salvation.

God, I pray that my love would grow to be as complete and sacrificial as Yours. May I love without strings. May I realize that I don’t need anything else because I can rest complete in You. Then my love will be pure, free of selfish motive.

Amen

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Cut the Cake

Daily Reading

Psalm 9-16

Daily Thought

It’s supposed to be a fair system, one which puts an end to arguments. One child cuts the cake, the other chooses the first piece. It should have worked. It’s not difficult to draw a line down the middle, but neither child was looking for fair. The trick was to cut the cake at a slant so one piece looks bigger, but is actually smaller. Both children sought the advantage and neither wanted mom cutting the cake because she might be fair. And, to be honest, neither wants more cake–just more than the other.

Nothing’s changed. Watch Congress reline the districts or nations draw up treaties. No one aims for fair and there are no straight lines. The Hatfields and McCoys keep fighting not to get even, but to get even plus a little more. “Ties,” snarls the football coach, “are like kissing your sister.” The system favors the devils. “Nice guys finish last” is how Leo Durocher saw it. So, nasty ones finish first? “For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul. His ways prosper at all times” (Psalm 10:3, 5), and for a time, it seems, the wicked win. That’s our system, the system of advantage, of fair plus a little more. “The one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord. In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 10:3-4). We don’t want mom cutting the cake, and he gets the bigger piece, for awhile. 

But not the better piece. Who cares about more cake! “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance” (Psalm 16:5-6).

Daily Prayer

My God, there is nothing in this world that satisfies me. For a brief time, I find something fun, but then I want something more or something else, and I spend my life looking. Until I found You, or I should say, You found me. I wasn’t looking for You, but when You showed up, suddenly there was peace and contentment, strength and worth, a hope and a future. Now I have nothing to gain because You are all I seek. And I have nothing to lose because You provide all I need. I have stopped looking and started living. The life You give is truly abundant and overflowing.

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11).

Amen

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Rest

Daily Reading

Job 29-31

Daily Thought

Job ignores his friends and lays out his final appeal before God: my life was good, really good (Job 29). Now it’s really bad (Job 30). What did I do wrong? (Job 31). At least sixteen times he begins, “If I have,” meaning he hasn’t, and the sins he lists are common sins. Job is, indeed, a righteous man.

“Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding” (Job 28:28). Job was intent on turning away. “I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?” (Job 31:1), not that his eyes would stop seeing–that would be impossible–but that they would never stop moving. That they would not fix their gaze on what they should not. The first look is free, it cannot be stopped. It is the second look that costs you. “If my step has turned aside from the way and my heart has gone after my eyes,” (Job 31:7); Job knew his steps follow his heart and his heart follows his eyes, so he contested temptation quickly. 

Job presented his case before God, then he was done; “The words of Job are ended” (Job 31:40). In judicial jargon, he rested. It is called shalom, peace, “and the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever” (Isaiah 32:17). The turmoil swirled around him still, but he was in the hands of God now, as he had always been.

Daily Prayer

Father in heaven, You are holy, You are good. Your kingdom is righteous. I long to live forever in a righteous kingdom, a kingdom where peace reigns, but may it begin now with me. May I find peace in a righteous life and contentment in trusting You. 

Help me guard my eyes, God, that they will not linger on temptation. Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, may I fix my gaze on such as these and delight in goodness. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth, in my life, right now, as it is in heaven. 

Amen

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War and Peace

Daily Reading

Joshua 12-15

Daily Thought

God made it clear, the land is filled with evil. Drive out all of the evil from the land. “Yet the people of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites, but Geshur and Maacath dwell in the midst of Israel to this day” (Joshua 13:13). They drove out a lot, but not all. Not everybody. Sometimes some cities didn’t appear worth the battle and they allowed them to remain. They allowed these people to live among them.

God’s church, like the nation of Israel, is called to be holy, yet sins linger. Gossip, gluttony, lust, greed, compromise, hypocrisy, pride. They seem tolerable, not worth the battle it would require to remove them, so we allow them to linger. Scripture warns us to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:12-13), but we fear the war when we should fear the peace.

Eighty-five years young, Caleb remains ready for battle. Those of old age speak more often of past victories, but Caleb is ready to fight yet again. His confidence was not in himself, but in his God. The years had not dimmed his trust in the Almighty, nor his resolve to drive out evil, no matter how formidable. “So now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the Lord said” (Joshua 14:12).

Daily Prayer

Holy God, You called me to be perfect just like You. Which I cannot do… on my own. May my repentance be true. I choose to turn away from my sin, and God, I need Your Spirit to give me guidance and strength not to turn back. Thank You that even when I fall and fail, I can return and confess, and the once-for-all death of Your Son, Jesus Christ, covers all my sins.

I am so glad You are perfect and that Your standard is holiness. What other kind of eternity would be good? Thank You, Father, for doing the work that makes my holiness possible. It is only in the Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen