Tag: Peace

December 23 – Sovereign Promises

“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6 (NASB)

The book named after the prophet Isaiah is packed with promises from our sovereign God. Today we are familiar and know the true reason we celebrate December 25 as Christmas. No, it isn’t the loveable fat old man called Santa Claus – a name derived from Saint Nicholas. Nicholas was a real person between the years 220 A.D. and 343 A.D. He was a Christian bishop during the time of the Roman Empire. Many far-reaching, even dark legends developed around that name.  But there’s a name, Immanuel, connected to December 25, that is not legend. It’s the real story of a man who’s birth was prophesied centuries before His birth. In Isaiah 7:14 is a promise of the birth of a son named Immanuel to a young girl who was yet a virgin. Today’s verse elaborates on the name Immanuel.  Wonderful Counselor. This King will implement supernatural wisdom in discharging His office; Mighty God. As a powerful warrior, He will accomplish the military exploits mentioned in 9:3–5; Eternal Father. The Messiah will be a Father to His people eternally; Prince of Peace. The government of Immanuel will bring and perpetuate peace among the nations of the world.

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November 30 – Stay Close, Have Peace

“Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.”  2 Thessalonians 3:16 (ESV)

We all experience times when peace is distant and not resident in our lives. Especially if we focus on conditions of our lives and world during moments of crisis. Who could possibly be more of a true source of peace than the Lord of peace?  Our verse is often used as a benediction in worship services. But we look at it today because it is good any time to remember the promise here.  We may think that we can experience peace by deciding not to worry anymore and we may think then, that we did all by our own  effort.  Our verse reminds us that true peace comes from God.  He is the God of peace and He gives His peace to those who believe and trust Him.  We can know God wants us to have His peace reign in our lives always, at all times, in every way.  In every circumstance of our lives – even today no matter what challenges we are facing or what we are struggling with, God can give us peace that comes directly from Him.  Why? Because He is with us.  Stay close, have peace. This is the promise.

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November 14 – Abundance of Positive Matters

“May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”  2 Peter 1:2 (ESV)

These words are a prayer of blessing written by the Apostle Peter in the second letter he wrote to believers.  What a great difference our lives become when we come to know God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. “This is a strengthened form of “knowledge” implying a larger, more thorough, and intimate knowledge. The Christian’s precious faith is built on knowing the truth about God (cf. v. 3). Christianity is not a mystical religion, but is based in objective, historical, revealed, rational truth from God and intended to be understood and believed. The deeper and wider that knowledge of the Lord, the more “grace and peace” are multiplied.1” When we accept Jesus as our Savior, God brings us into His family and begins to reveal himself to us.  He wants us to know Him and to keep learning more and more about Him. Our verse today tells us what happens when we learn to know our Lord better. We read that we receive grace and peace in abundance through knowing Him. It will be true as we learn to know Him better. What a benefit is promised to us here.

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[1] John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible., (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), 2 Pe 1:2.

September 10 – It’s An Objective Peace

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” –  Romans 5:1 (NASB)

Today’s verse, reveals an awesome promise for all who have by faith believed in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It’s awesome because it gives us assurance of forgiveness. That’s important is because itis the foundation to our security in Christ Jesus.  “Therefore having been justified by faith.”  That’s the premise: If we have been justified by faith, if we have been declared righteous through faith, in other words, if we have been genuinely saved, then we have laid the necessary foundation and we are held in that relationship eternally. Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God.  Now that is a very important thing for us to understand.  We have as a present possession peace with God. This is not talking about psychological tranquility.  It is not feelings of confidence or well-being.  It is not subjective at all.  It is not the kind of peace we feel or the kind of peace we experience.  It is talking about an actual relationship that can be defined as a relationship of peace. Before justification we had been at war, we had been the enemy of God, we are now at peace.

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September 1 – Peace In A Peaceless World

“Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” – 2 Corinthians 13:11 (ESV)

We are living in a contentious world and it is no surprise or anything new. Yes, we like to think there have been time that the people of this world were more at peace but not truly. An honest realistic look at history from the time of Genesis 3 our world has been a place with more danger and more conflict than peace. The peace we experience worldwide is temporary, existing in small parts of the world. We may have peace between ourselves for a season but sin destroys that too. As believers in our Lord Jesus Christ we can have peace with God and can have sustainable peace and harmony between each other. It is our calling and it honors God bringing Glory to Him. The apostle Paul in this verse exhorts faith believers in Corinth to aim for restoration of peace. We start by having an attitude of thankfulness and rejoicing. We will accomplish our aim as we comfort one another and agree with one another, we will live in peace – that means giving up the selfishness and striving for our own way within Christ’s fellowship of believers. This promise is for such harmony with God’s love.

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July 28 – Listen. Hear. Receive.

“I will hear what God the LORD will say; For He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones; But let them not turn back to folly. Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, That glory may dwell in our land.” –  Psalm 85:8-9 (NASB)

God has many things to tell us each day and He has several ways of speaking to us. We are so glad for the way He speaks to us when we read the Bible or hear someone teach us from it. Sometimes He speaks to us by reminding us of something we have read earlier in the Bible, maybe years ago.  We know that He can also speak through our consciences through the Holy Spirit who lives within us. Our verse reminds us of what happens in our hearts when we become conscious that God is speaking to us. When we recognize God’s voice speaking to us and we receive what He tells us in an obedient manner we sense His peace within. How wonderful to know it is the voice of God speaking to us. The peace ultimately comes in fullness in the Messiah’s kingdom. In Ezekiel 10-11 we can read about the time that the glory of God departed from Israel because of their apostasy and refusal to believe and obey God’s word.  His promises were delayed until the end of time when the glory will return. Listen today for God’s voice from His Word. Listen and learn.

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July 5 –Joy, Cheer, Courage, and Peace

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” – John 14:27 (NASB)
“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NASB)

Joy, Cheer, and Courage have their origin in one ultimate victory and that is Christ’s victory over hell and the grave. Old Testament saints looked forward to this promise being fulfilled and the New Testament church (post Christ’s crucifixion, burial and resurrection) looks back on the beginning of the fulfillment. The essential ground for endurance in trials and persecution is the Jesus’ victory over the world system and its prince of darkness. Through Christ’s impending death, and he is looking for it to happen momentarily, in just a few hours. He rendered the world’s opposition null and void. While the world continues to attack His people, such attacks fall harmlessly, for Christ’s victory has already accomplished a smashing defeat of the whole evil rebellious system. This means that all the promises of God, all the promises Jesus gave to us through His disciples are imminently pending and are guaranteed by His Word. In the middle of our topsy-turvy world where all that was stable is being uprooted and discarded, we have the assurance that the peace Christ gave to us is the real thing. Let’s trust the peace.

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June 24 – With Truth Comes Acid

“Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you. Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.” Job 22:21-22 (ESV)

The story of Job in the Bible is not one many really know very well. We might know of Job’s trials, losses and why. We might even have a clue about three friends who fail to understand and so missed the mark when trying to offer help. Instead of comfort counselors they were accusers. But in all that is said to Job, there are many interesting and valuable bits of advice. Eliphaz, the third and at first silent friend, is at first courteous, but in chapter 22 his frustration rises. Again, the fate of the wicked is expressed in the simplistic idea that all suffering comes from sin. Eliphaz did not believe Job was innocent and so painted a picture of the life of blessing in store for Job if only he would return to God and repent of his sin (v. 23). Out of this bit of acidic advice from his “friend” there is a truth. In order to properly “agree with God, and be at peace,” we must know Him as He has revealed Himself. In order to know God, God must know us as His own. That is how we truly know peace from Him.

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May 23 – Peace to Overcome


“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NASB)

Yesterday’s promise included the appropriation of the Gospel of Peace in order to stand firm against the ruler of this world system set on our failure as Christians. The attack is on all around us. Christian and Christianity is a target and quickly criticized by ungodly forces. Today’s verse gives us the promise of peace. Jesus, as he spoke to His disciples that last night at Passover Supper did so in order that they would have peace. He knew what was ahead was going to be very difficult and include tribulations and persecutions. But, as Jesus said, with His peace we can overcome whatever the world dishes out to us. Why can we trust this promise? How do we take on the courage we need and know it will be there for us? Because, Jesus declared the He had already overcome the world. As difficult as it was going to be, Jesus promised that what He had done for them and for us was to give us what we need to overcome the world – and that included His peace. Not a worldly idea of peace but a Godly kind of peace that lasts forever.

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May 17 – Equipped With Everything

“Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21 (NASB)

The selected verses for today’s promises are so often used as a benediction they may be familiar to some. They are packed with so much we will highlight just a few. Does it sometimes seem difficult to live the Christian Life in such a way that we will please God? The very long sentence begins with six words of the statement and then at the ending promise. We learn that it is the God of peace who raised Christ – our great Shepherd – from the dead. The power to do that is the power we have to live a life pleasing to God. We cannot and shouldn’t try to live such a life by our own effort. We will never make it on our own. We do not have the ability. God knows that we do not possess what we need within ourselves. God doesn’t expect it of us so He equips us with what we need. Our God makes us complete and He wants us to recognize that He will bring the changes in our lives to live godly lives. This is a promise and the result brings glory to God – it’s our reason for our existence.

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