Author: divinewisdomforchristians

“You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.” (Psalms 89:9)

“The lot puts an end to quarrels and decides between powerful contenders.” (Proverbs 18:18)

Many people would admit to visualizing God as a stern ruler if they are honest. Even Christians who have studied Scripture for decades, and who have a close relationship with Him in Christ still hold onto that image of God, which was probably formed without actual knowledge of Him. Children raised in a biblical environment have the advantage of hearing about the true God of grace, mercy, and holiness, who governs with compassion. The Psalms and Book of Job encourage us when they speak of God as the ruler over creation. He stills waves and limits the seas (Job 38:9-11). God established the mountains and raised up stormy winds (Job 38:8-11; Psalms 65:5-7; 107:25). The Lord gives wild oxen their strength, horses their courage, and eagles their mighty wings (Job 39:9-30). Is He not all-powerful? Of course, he is, but God does not need to prove his power to us. Instead, we are to learn about, appreciate, and worship our Creator who rules in any way that he chooses. Nature is something most of us take for granted; it is no wonder that God chooses to use it, supernaturally, to draw our attention to him. Christ did just that when his apostles were fearful of the storm on the sea. “And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?’” (Mark 4:39-40)  

Many people in the world deny that God is the first cause of all things, and insist on only the scientific, meteorological explanations for dramatic changes in the climate or weather. Of all the places I have lived, only in Africa did I meet Christians who consider that God may be guiding his people through unusually long rainy seasons, droughts, or strange storms. And why shouldn’t we think so, when the Lord has used the weather in the past? Even if our understanding is metaphorical, shouldn’t we expect God to make himself known through nature? We have many inducements in Scripture to learn from the skies, seas, clouds, birds, plants, and animals. “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” (James 5:7-8) 

In the Bible the seas represent danger. The great flood of Noah’s day wiped out the entire world except for the ark’s passengers. The Sea of Galilee is the lowest freshwater lake in the world and is fed by springs from the Jordan River. It  is in an area subject to earthquakes, with a depth of approximately 141 feet, and flows into the Jordan River on its south end (1) Perhaps the danger for Jesus’s disciples were the storms that threatened to move their small boats into the Jordan River. “And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, ‘Save us, Lord; we are perishing.’” (Matthew 8:24-25) Since at least some of the men on the boat were fishermen, it is doubtful that they were exaggerating about the danger of the storm. However, they were doubtful about Jesus’s concern and lordship over the sea. “Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?’” (Matthew 8:26-27) The good news is that their doubts or ours do not limit Christ’s power, compassion, and knowledge.

Even when chance seems to be at work, we can be sure that God is controlling the “roll of the dice.” Our isolated solutions to problems are inferior to those orchestrated by God, through his sovereign providence. “If the decision comes from outside, the contending parties can both rest.” (2) I decided, decades ago, that I would not make decisions based on my ideas without significant confirmation from outside circumstances, godly advice, and much prayer. The best changes and blessings in my life are a result of God working outside of me to direct my activities and interests. Choices I have made by inserting myself in volunteer work or ministry have been short-lived and relatively inferior to those that God orchestrated. I live where I am because the apartment became available years before I expected, and there were very few of its kind, limiting those that would be open later. I serve in my church in areas where I have been asked to help, after much prayer. The ministry or volunteer work I joined hasn’t worked out as well, because of my extended recovery from surgery, proving my point, and not at all by coincidence, as far as I am concerned. 

Peace is something we all enjoy, seek, and desire deeply. But when we are conflicted, distraught, confused, and lost, we tend to lose sight of this and are unable to “find” the peace that is always available in Christ. Were we to depend more entirely upon God’s sovereign lordship and Christ’s redemptive forgiveness, we would not even need to look for the peace, because it is in him and he is in us. In what way are you distrustful of God’s rulership over the world and your life? How are you disregarding Christ’s influence over your life and God’s direction for your daily choices? Will you ask God to help you stop doubting him, and enjoy more of his peace?

(1) Information about the Sea of Galilee from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_of_Galilee

(2) The Reformation Study Bible, Proverbs 18:18, Reformation Trust Publishing (Ligonier Ministries), Sanford, Fl., 2015. 

March 14, 2019

“Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding…Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.” (Proverbs 3:13, 17)

“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” (Romans 12:18)

“…charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers.” (2 Timothy 2:14)

Have you ever heard of “Pleasant Green YouTube Videos?” It’s just a site with videos that go viral, about scams and conspiracies, especially those in Africa. What’s confusing is the name of its creator, “By D Grace of God.” I have no idea of the connection between the content of the website and the founders claim to God’s grace, or why it’s called “Pleasant Green.” If I greet you with “Have a nice day” or “Have a pleasant day,” I wish you agreeableness, enjoyment, and satisfaction (which is not how I experienced the website). Except for student and political debaters among us, most of us would conclude that a pleasant day or experience excludes disagreements or quarrels. Proverbs 3 clearly states the principle that godly wisdom leads to blessedness, understanding, and pleasantness, resulting in peace, or characterized by peace. In Romans 12, Paul commands us to live peaceably. Through Timothy God urges us to refrain from quarreling about trivial matters because it does no good but only ruins those who hear us argue. (“Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone…” (2 Timothy 2:23-24a)

Paul recognizes it is not always possible to be at peace with everyone, even when we try, when he writes, “if possible…” While I was having my hair trimmed the other day, I overheard some hairstylists talking about the possibility of customers misunderstanding a sign placed outside their studio about special pricing. When I asked my stylists what it was like to work with the “general public,” she remarked, most kindly, that she sees all kinds of people, and stopped there. I appreciated her restraint and pleasantness since she could have complained or gossiped but didn’t. Her reaction made me think of Paul’s instruction; perhaps she has learned the wisdom of how to live at peace with all different kinds of people. 

The instruction of Solomon, Paul, and Timothy all have this in common: no matter how others act, we are to be peaceful. Of course, there are times when we must disagree with those who might speak falsely, affecting their beliefs and those of others, or those who enjoy a “good” argument. “If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.” (1 Timothy 6:3-5) So what are we to do when so many people have ungodly beliefs and opinions? How do we live at peace in the world today without being a doormat or being unengaged with people?

First, we must find our joy and pleasure with God, if we are to have any satisfaction with His creation and creatures. That, I suspect, is why the tradition has developed for Christians to spend time with the Lord in the morning, studying the Bible and praying our “quiet time.” In Matthew Henry’s Sermon on “The Pleasantness of a Religious Life,” he lists twelve pleasures that “Christians enjoy: 1. Knowing God and the Lord Jesus Christ; 2. Resting in God; 3. Being God’s child; 4. Tasting God’s gracious goodness in all creature comforts; 5. Relying on God’s care; 6. Delighting in God; 7. Praising God; 8. Escaping slavery to our appetites and passions; 9. Loving and doing too to others; 10. Communing with God constantly; and 11. Looking forward to heaven’s glory.” (1) Armed with joy in Christ, we are protected from the danger of false ideas and arguments. “…rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.” (Philippians 3:1) “When the heart is enlarged with the love of God and Christ; when assisted therein by the Spirit of God, having good food and refreshment in them, and good company with them; and which, though attended with much tribulation, end in eternal pleasure.” (2) 

Having peace within ourselves, it is not our right or responsibility to cause disturbance or conflict in others. Do any of our friends or family members reject Christ, being humanitarians or living by some other “spiritual” ideas? Who are we to disturb them? Only God, the Spirit is responsible with them for their beliefs and final destiny. However, that does not mean we are to neglect them or write them off. We may pray for gracious, gentle, and contextually appropriate ways to share the gospel and encourage our loved ones to seek God’s truth. Christians “…living themselves peaceably and quietly, in all godliness and honesty… ‘as much as lies in you’; for more than this is not required of us; nothing should be wanting on our parts; every step should be taken to cultivate and maintain peace; the blame should lie wholly on the other side; it becomes the saints to live peaceably themselves, if others will not with them.” (3) When I pray for my family and others I do pray that God will break into their lives and turn their hearts to Christ. But we all know that some disturbance and inner conflict is part of our confession and regeneration when the Spirit works in us. 

You, like me, might be surprised at what causes you to lack peace. For example, I am seeking God’s help to get more and better sleep, since I know that I am more patient, gracious, and wise when I am rested. Do you have habits that affect your peacefulness? Are there responsibilities that you should delegate to have a more pleasant view of your life and the people in your life? Is your lack of peace a physical, spiritual, emotional, or intellectual issue? Do you need to change your thinking, or perhaps your expectations of yourself or others? During this season of preparation for Easter (Lent), what might you do differently to encourage peacefulness and pleasantness in the lives of others? What might you stop doing? Which of the pleasures listed by Matthew Henry might you be neglecting?

(1) Packer, J. I., Editor, “Puritan Portraits,” Chapter 4, “Matthew Henry: The Pleasantness of a Religious Life,” Christian Focus Publications, 2012.

(2) John Gill’s Exposition on the Whole Bible, Proverbs 3:17, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/proverbs-3.html

(3) John Gill’s Exposition on the Whole Bible, Romans 12:18, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/romans-12.html

March 7, 2019

“Too long have I had my dwelling among those who hate peace. I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war!” (Psalm 120:6-7)

“Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.” (1 Peter 2:11) 

If we were to stay glued to the major media broadcasts or the Internet all day, we might think everyone in the world is at war with someone else. Political parties fight along party lines, but even politicians within the same party seem to disagree more than they agree. Economic leaders argue about what’s happening in the global economy, while religious leaders and their followers also have fundamental disputes. In an article from the Internet one reporter commented on the many divisions that turn into all-out battles for survival: “The front lines in these…conflicts often follow boundaries that divide clans or castes, not countries. They lie along frontiers between ethnic or sectarian communities, even those dividing, for example, pastoralists from herders or the landed from the landless, from those who speak one dialect or language from neighbours who speak another… There is violence perpetrated against women by those who fear progress in the struggle for a more equitable distribution of power, status and wealth…Our world may not be racked by conventional conflicts between nation states of previous ages, but it is still a very violent place. The harsh reality may be that we should not be wondering why wars seem so intractable today, but why our time on this planet creates such intractable wars.” (1) 

The Bible answers the philosophical question posed by Mr. Burke. “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.” (James 4:1-2) James goes on to explain in depth how our internal conflicts lead to external division, judgmentalness and trespassing God’s law. (See James 4:3-12.) The two verses today also reflect the reality that whatever we love in our hearts is what we will desire in our lives. The psalmist laments his time surrounded by those who hate peace and engage in war. Ironically, he has declared war against those who have rejected God and His peace, only seeking to make war themselves. This is because the world must be viewed upside-down from the way human logic sees it. 

Today, when people refuse to work together to solve political problems, reject solutions to global warming, or insist on blaming the outrageous number of fatal shootings either on all people with guns or all people who hate them, are they not declaring war? But unlike people, God declares only just war on those who reject Him and His peace; He alone is righteously entitled to war and judge those who refuse to acknowledge Him as their Creator and the Holy Judge. The people whom the psalmist hated were those who hated God. Jesus sought all who would receive Him and rejected all who would not, being in a respective state of acrimony. “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 10:34-37)

Like the psalmist, we are to be at war against sin and hatred for the sake of hatred. When we align ourselves with Christ, we hate that which causes division for the sake of division and position. At the same time, though, we are at war with ourselves. “I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.” (Romans 7:23) What a conundrum! What a strange  truth—that we who hate war should engage in battle against our flesh, Satan, and the values of the world—and only by doing so can we obtain the peace of God. As John Gill writes, our corrupt nature and lusts “…are enemies to the spiritual peace, comfort, and welfare of the soul.” (2)

Many commentators and translators believe that Psalm 120 may be a lament written by an Israelite living in exile in a country not his own, citing verse 5: “Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!” Like them, we are “sojourners and exiles” on this earth, commanded to be different than those surrounding us. Peter’s imperative in verse 11 is clear—we are to war against our lusts because they war against our souls. We are either at peace with God or peace with sin—we cannot do both at the same time, although we often try to convince ourselves that we can justify our ungodly desires, because of our corrupted thinking, when we reject biblical wisdom. “I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.” (Romans 7:23)

We have the psalmist’s example to help us remember that Christ has crucified the passions and desires of our flesh by His atonement when we belong to Him. (Galatians 5:24). We have Peter’s imperative to refrain from unbiblical thinking and desires that war against our souls. We are to fill our minds with the mind of Christ, actively working on our sanctification, as Paul urges in Philippians 2, verses 5-7 and 12. Will you say, like the psalmist, “I am for peace?” Will you “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires?” (Romans 13:14) Will you intentionally and proactively plan to do what is godly, leaving no room for that which is not, preparing for the inevitable war against your soul today?

(1) Burke, Jason, “Why is the World at War?,” The Observer World News Online, March 3, 2018, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/04/why-is-world-at-war-syria-democratic-republic-congo-yemen-afghanistan-ukraine

(2) John Gill’s Exposition on the Whole Bible, 1 Peter 2:11, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/1peter-2.html

February 26, 2019

“And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, ‘No more of this!’ And he touched his ear and healed him.” (Luke 22:50-51)

“The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. It is I; do not be afraid. Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.” (John 6:18-21) 

I was watching a reality TV show recently that documented the accounts of a couple and a single man who decided to live in the wilderness, with minimal help from the outside world. They hunt for most of their food; if they fail to bag prey, they will not eat. They use boats and planes like we use cars and bikes. Their contact with the outside world is mainly via short wave radios. I would imagine that there are some very great dangers in the wilderness, including wild animals, fire, lack of food sources, illness and injury. It takes either an especially confident or well-prepared person to live such a primitive life. Most of us are too fearful to contemplate living such a secluded lifestyle for even a short time, let alone for years. Most of us also won’t go skydiving, bungee jumping, skateboarding, kite surfing, or ice climbing. Fear is a powerful motivator, often stronger than love, faith, or hope. Fear doesn’t usually compel us to do something, but more often prevents us from doing the risky thing. However, in our passage today, Peter did draw his sword out of fear and the disciples in the boat jumped to an erroneous conclusion based on fear.

Peter was afraid that his mentor and Lord was going to be arrested and crucified, just as Jesus had predicted. Sometimes we also act on our own behalf, or others’ behalf, based on the fear that the worst case scenario may actually come to pass. A parent continually hovers over his child, fearful that she may fall in with the wrong crowd. A young woman shows up at her boyfriend’s apartment without notice because she is afraid he is seeing someone else. A grandmother constantly tells her daughter how to cook and clean, because she worries that with her help her daughter will fail to perform adequately. A diabetic senior eats whatever he likes and refuses to go to the doctor because he is afraid that he will learn that he is unhealthy and should take better care of himself. Like Peter, we act on fear instead of faith, and by doing so, we take the risk of getting into some real difficulties. Jesus was gracious to restrain Peter and immediately heal Malchus’s ear; otherwise, Peter would probably have been justly arrested for attacking a Roman soldier. 

In the boat are disciples who were probably terrified of the storm and exhausted from battling it. Fear led to their quick assumption that Jesus was a ghost, causing them to forget or fail to consider that their Lord was coming to help them. Fear can make us forgetful of God’s help in the past or doubtful of his support in our distress. (1) We procrastinate and dodge that which we are afraid will happen, even if it is the most unlikely thing in the world. In all of the Bible, there is only one other reference to a ghost, and that is metaphorical. What are the chances that an actual ghost would walk on water to the disciples? What are the chances that your children will become addicts if you don’t hover, or that a faithful boyfriend will cheat if he is really in love? Will a son-in-law leave his wife because she ruins a meal or will that senior get worse by seeing a doctor and managing his diet? Of course, these are far-fetched scenarios but describe how some of us view life. Teenagers, in particular, live in constant fear of confusion, failure, and loneliness. 

What did Jesus do to help his disciples? He immediately countered their fear with reality—he would, in fact, be arrested, as He predicted; it really was Him walking on water. Their faith was being tested by God’s supernatural and unlikely but sovereign plan. “Walking on the sea is not something Jesus did just to amaze the disciples, but rather it is a powerful, visible demonstration of Jesus’ sovereignty over the world that he created (Heb. 1:3, 10). In the OT, God alone rules over the seas…Jesus’ words, “It is I”…which in other contexts can be translated “I am,” [God’s covenant name]. Here it may allude to God’s self-identification as “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14) and may thus be an indication of Jesus’ divinity.” (2) After Jesus confronted the disciples with reality, he immediately brought healing or peace to them, which he is also willing to do for us spiritually. The reality with Christ is a world where God is in control, sometimes expecting us to endure scary circumstances and dark times, and other times coming to us in ways we cannot anticipate. 

What fears do you have about yourself, your loved ones, your current life, or your future? What reality are you not seeing clearly and accepting? Do you doubt God’s concern for your needs and His willingness to help you? Are you like the disciples, who later refused to believe that Jesus not only rose from the dead but was standing before them? “And he said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see.’” (Luke 24:38-39a)

(1) Life Application Bible, New International Version, John 6:18-19, Tyndale House Publishers, 1991.

(2) ESV Study Bible Notes, John 6:19-20, (digital edition), Crossway, 2008.

February 18, 2019

“And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, ‘Jacob, Jacob.’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said, ‘I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.’” (Genesis 46:2-4)

From the beginning of my decision to have a second knee surgery, I felt it was the right. I was familiar with the process, and circumstances lined up; my prayers about it brought me peace. However, after experiencing so many difficulties after the surgery, in rehab, there were many times when I questioned my decision and wondered if it was not God’s will but my impatience to get it over with sooner rather than later. Every time doubts would creep into my mind I reminded myself of some fundamental truths about God, a primary one being that He often uses our trials and difficult circumstances for His glory. Difficulties and problems in our lives may sometimes be the result of our mistakes and lack of faith, generating discipline from the Lord. But more often, for Christians, they are opportunities for us to grow and for God to be glorified. I imagine what I would have said if you had asked me in early December, “Will you have the surgery even if it causes you a lot of pain and a long recovery, for God’s glory and your instruction.” I probably would have put it off. But God, in his providence, determined that this was the best way to proceed. I confess that I still have a fear that my recovery may never be complete, and so I continue to remind myself that pain and difficulties do not mean that this is not God’s plan. I continue to ask myself, “How can I glorify God through my continued recovery?”

According to John Gill (and other interpreters that he quotes), Jacob may have had many fears about obeying God’s command to go down to Egypt. Perhaps he was confused about the will of God since the Lord had forbidden Jacob’s father, Isaac to go into Egypt. Or, since Jacob was elderly, he may have worried that the journey would be too physically demanding, that something horrible might happen to cause his death, and he would never see Joseph again. It could be that his family would be tempted with the “pleasantness and fruitfulness of the land, and settle there, and forget and neglect the promised land of Canaan” or that they would “be drawn into the idolatry of the Egyptians, and forsake the worship of the true God.” Maybe Jacob was merely afraid of the actual prediction of God’s prophecy, that obeying the Lord would bring on its fulfillment of “his seed being strangers and servants, and afflicted in a land not theirs for the space of four hundred years” and his “offspring would be oppressed and diminished.” *

When we give in to fear we can come up with many logical reasons why something isn’t a good idea, or why later might be better than now. The Lord knows our proclivity to give in to fear, as Jacob might have done. God did not command Jacob to travel to Egypt alone or in his own strength; He was not punishing Jacob or denying him anything good. If Jacob had given into his fears, God would have still established the nation of Israel in Egypt through Joseph; But Jacob would have missed the opportunity to be an integral part of God’s work. The Lord knew from before the beginning of time that Jacob would need to go to Egypt with his household, joining Joseph and trusting in His plan to fulfill His promise. “And God said to him, ‘Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.’ So he called his name Israel. And God said to him, ‘I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body. The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.’”  (Genesis 35:10-12) 

The Lord knew what Jacob needed to obey the command to go to Egypt—God’s presence with him and the assurance that one day he would return to the Promised Land (even in death). God knows that we need His help and presence when we face difficult decisions, challenges, and trials. He knows that we are weak, fearful, and vulnerable, unable to overcome our fears on our own. When Jacob feared meeting his brother Esau, after years of estrangement, he called on the Lord, remembering God’s promise to do good and raise a multitude from him, rather than see him die at that time. (Genesis 32:9-12) Jesus, knowing the fears of His disciples as He prepared to depart the world, promised that He would not abandon them. “I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;  concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer;  concerning judgment because the ruler of this world is judged…When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:7-15) Jesus knows our frame; he remembers that we are like dust (which is unable to do anything). (Psalm 103:14) 

God certainly knows how I long for reassurance for healing or at least the capability to walk comfortably, with or without assistance. The best comfort I have is knowing that He is with me in this process and has good plans for me and for it. Is there something that you fear at this time, that makes you feel like mere dust, for which you desire assurance? Are you trying to work it out on your own, or are you willing to lean hard on Jesus for strength to face your fear?

• John Gill’s Exposition on the Whole Bible, Genesis 46:3, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/genesis-46.html

“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”  (John 14:25-27)

Did one of your parents or another beloved relative leave you an inheritance? Are you expecting one from someone who is still alive, or planning on what you will leave for your children or other younger people? An inheritance is usually something material that is left for those surviving us, such as a home, material possessions, or money. Since we don’t want to have our properties, usually gained through hard work, go unused or unappreciated after we are gone, we leave them to those we love. Some people spend much of their middle-aged years working to have an inheritance to leave for others. However, there is something more we can leave—a legacy. The difference between an inheritance and a legacy is the greater scope of a legacy, possibly to extend to many generations, with or without any material possessions attached. If I desire to leave both an inheritance and a legacy, I would think that they would be related, with one reinforcing the other. 

For those who belong to Jesus Christ by God’s gift of faith in Him, we have both an inheritance and a legacy. Ephesians 1:11, 13-14 “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will…the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” Jesus Christ has also left us His legacy of godly peace. “Christ has left his legacy of peace inside us—his shalom (universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight)…Instead of trying to conquer peace with stoicism, insurance policies or drugs, Christ offers us intimate communion and oneness with God, relief from the guilt and punishment of our sins, his perfect legal righteousness and adoption into his family, an historical basis for trusting God as Christ did, and knowing that we will enjoy shalom in fullness when He returns.” (1) 

We move through this life longing for peace in our relationships, work, ministry, families, and in our hearts. When we are young, we often try to acquire peace thought self-fulfillment and satisfaction with our work, spouses, children, positions, and possessions, unsuccessfully. The peace that Christ gives us is radically different from the peace the world seeks, even in ministry, helping the poor, and sacrificial service. The world’s peace is based on a formula of doing enough to feel like we have earned the right to feel good about ourselves. The world’s transient, temporal nature can only offer short-lived, superficial peace that is easily lost. Promises are made about acquiring peace through various means that fail to deliver. Those who speak of peace often do so for their own benefit and will sell it to whomever they can. (2)

The peace that Jesus Christ offers us is not based on our efforts at all, but on His. “The peace Christ gives is true, solid, and substantial…but the peace Christ is the giver of, is internal…lasting and durable…[and] cheerfully carries his people through all the difficulties and exercises of this life…The world gives peace in words only, Christ in deed…[and] Christ gives his; not to the wicked, for there is no peace to them, but to the saints, the excellent in the earth.” (3) 

The result of the world’s peace is questionable and elusive, frail and unreliable. However, the peace of Christ results in our hearts being untroubled so that we are unafraid of the insecurities of the world. Difficulties with finances, work, relationships, illnesses, injuries, and the effects of natural disasters like floods and fires will come. But the peace of Christ will survive them all and comfort our hearts to not only endure them but see the goodness of God in our most desperate circumstances. “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) David knew this peace: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1) Isaiah proclaimed this peace to Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” (Isaiah 43:1-2) 

The peace that gives us the ability to see the goodness of God in the difficulties of life is available to us today. What trouble are you experiencing without the peace of Christ? Will you stop to spend time with Him, to stimulate His peace that is already in you, through the Holy Spirit? We don’t have to do anything to acquire this gift of shalom since He has already given us His legacy, that lives in us. Will you rest in Christ and His peace?

• Turnage, Elizabeth, The Waiting Room, Chapter 28, John 14:27, Pre-publication edition, 2019.
• John Gill’s Exposition on the Whole Bible, John 14:27, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/john-14.html
• Ibid.

February 3, 2019

“I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lordsustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.” (Psalm 3:5-6)

“If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.” (Proverbs 3:24-26)

Many of my friends have trouble sleeping through the night. Some of us can’t get to sleep without aids, and even then our bodies resist giving in to shut-eye. Some of us don’t stay asleep for very long before waking up, and then have the challenge of getting back to sleep. We could understand this better if we have stressful jobs or unresolved problems that aggravate us. But, unlike David and Solomon, many of us are retired with good support systems and faith in God to meet our needs and those of others. David was faced with life-threatening attacks from his enemies who wanted nothing more than to destroy him and his people. In Psalm 3 he expresses his confidence in God’s protection while he slept, enabling him to get to sleep and making it sweet. In Proverbs, his son Solomon proclaims that the one who trusts the Lord will have a lovely rest, being peaceful and unafraid of those who may want to harm him. 

In Psalm 3, David “calls to mind the variety of ways in which God has cared for him in the past, and how he was able in faith to sleep peacefully in the face of danger. These past experiences build his confidence for the present, enabling him to walk by faith and not by sight.” (1) Since the Lord had personally proved Himself, David had nothing to fear and was able to give in to his fatigue. And after spending his day defending himself from his enemies, even his son, who betrayed him, he was probably bone-weary tired. Here we may find one difference between him and us—we don’t fight against our enemies as we should. David could identify individuals, armies, and nations who were against him. We have the world and its values, Satan, and ourselves with which to contend. 

For the last five weeks, my body has seemed to be against me—the scar tissue in my new knee is stubbornly holding on and is refusing to be stretched out and broken up. I painfully work every day to loosen it, but I am making little progress. As I began to wonder what bad habits and spiritual lethargy I should also be struggling against, it occurred to me that I have been procrastinating about writing about peace here. Why? Because I don’t feel peaceful; I feel challenged, tried, tired, and frustrated—and I am tired of fighting. So here is where I am doing battle to regain the peace I need with God while struggling—because biblical peace is not the absence of trouble.

We may wait for our circumstances to lighten up, for a vacation, or something to work out in our favor for better sleep. Should I wait until my knee is better before expecting to sleep well? That is not the sweet sleep that Solomon is referring to. “Thy sleep shall be sweet; free of all uneasy thoughts and cares, sound and refreshing, pleasant and comfortable, like that of the laboring man…be not afraid of sudden fear, of anything terrible that comes unawares, unthought of…or by any rumors and reports of danger being near at hand; always think thyself safe in the arms of Wisdom, and under the care of Israel’s keeper, who neither slumbers nor sleeps.” (2) The pleasantness of God’s protection and providence is the balm that helps us go to sleep and finds us waking with a delightful spirit and grateful heart. This God does during a troublesome time in the world, in financial markets, and between political adversaries, not to mention companies going out of business creating huge job losses and raging wildfires and storms. 

What will it take for you to lie down with calmness and peace and to wake with satisfaction? Will you fight the influences that steal your peace rather than give in to them? What fears, insecurities, doubts, or questions can you leave with the Lord to have the peace he promises for those who trust in him? “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.” (Psalm 56:3-4)

(1) ESV Study Bible Notes, Psalm 3:3-6, (digital edition), Crossway, 2008.

(2) John Gill’s Exposition on the Whole Bible, Proverbs 3:24-25, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/proverbs-3.html

January 25, 2019

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

“But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.’” (Luke 1:13)

Every hour of every day I have a choice to make. If I do what is necessary to heal, I will have to do many painful knee stretches, over one hundred. If I neglect my exercises over the next five days, I will be giving into physical limitations that will be even harder to overcome, if they are overcome at all. I will find no peace in avoiding the stretches, because the consequence will be severe, involving another medical procedure. There is no peace in pretending that life is without pain or difficulties. When we think we are calm, benignly and casually ignoring a need to promote our health, relationships, or ministry, we are forfeiting peace with ourselves, God, and others. God placed Joshua and Zechariah where they couldn’t escape their callings. The advantage to urgent ministries and contractual commitments is that they are hard to avoid, like a serious illness or injury. It’s as if Joshua and Zechariah had no choice. God was going to do what he promised, and they would either lead the way or watch on the sidelines, missing out on many blessings. 

“Confidence based on the promises of God is the essence of biblical faith.” (1)  “Joshua needed strength and courage…to make the Lord’s instructions…integral to who he is and what he does, meditating on them constantly so as to do them. Given Joshua’s leadership responsibilities, this charge to be strong and courageous would be daunting were it not for the framing promises: I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you; and the Lord your God is with you wherever you go…Fortified by these assurances of the Lord’s abiding presence, Joshua is empowered to receive his commission with courage.” (2)

Believers either participate in God’s plans or lose blessings, being left on the sidelines. Every time we give up to discouragement and fear, being disheartened and disappointed, we miss what God is doing that leads to blessing. Recently, in one of my Bible study groups, we discussed the power of thanksgiving to lift our spirits and enter into the joy of the Lord, knowing that the joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10). God commanded Joshua to not be fearful, discouraged, or dismayed—which is almost the opposite of joy and peace. (Joshua 1:9, 18; 8:1; 10:8, 25; 11:6.) 

We can either choose to go with God’s plan or give into fear and apprehension. The former may be painful, challenging, and tiresome, but will lead to peace whereas the latter will lead only to more fear, discouragement, and anxiety. I am not usually a crier, but I think I have cried more in the last month than I did all of last year. Venting my fear, discouragement, and anxiety in tears with my loving Father has relieved me of stress, lightened my spirit, enabled me to press on with my exercises, and do what is necessary to make practical arrangements for myself. My physical weakness is my place of peace right now, and it is in my helplessness that I am meeting with the Lord most sincerely. Proactively engaging with our struggles sounds like the opposite of peace, but the truth is that whatever draws us closer to the Lord will result in more shalom since God is the source of our peace. 

“Real, sturdy, lasting peace, peace that doesn’t rise and fall with circumstances, isn’t to be found in picking apart your life until you have understood all of the components. You will never understand it all because God, for your good and his glory, keeps some of it shrouded in mystery. So peace is found only in trust, trust of the One who is in careful control of all things that tend to rob you of your peace. He knows, he understands, he is in control of what appears to be chaos, he is never surprised, he is never confused, he never worries or loses a night’s sleep, he never walks off the job to take a rest, he never gets so busy with one thing that he neglects another, and he never plays favorites.” (3) Joshua needed to experience God’s presence with him and hear God’s reassurances to do what was required to lead Israel to conquer Canaan. His confidence in God resulted in obedience and innumerable blessings for Israel, not to mention his personal wellbeing. On the other hand,  Zechariah’s lack of faith in God’s promise initially silenced him and seemed to have caused quite a commotion in his community. Then he came to a place of peace, and named his son John, as commanded by God. “And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, ‘What then will this child be?’ For the hand of the Lord was with him.” (Luke 1:64-66) 

Our peace with God, or lack of it, affects those around us. What begins as a very personal and sometimes very private journey often (and hopefully) ends with celebration among our Christian brothers and sisters, our families, friends, and communities. Our prayers are the beginning of our walk with the Lord and are the way that we can safely engage with Him to find the way to peace. However, we should know that prayer, like all communication, is the means by which we engage with the Lord, not in itself the answer to our problems. “Prayer is sometimes immediately heard, and answered; and sometimes an answer is deferred a long time, to try the faith and patience of the saints, and to discover the more the wisdom, power, and goodness of God.” (4) Every time I stretch my knee I am reminded of my problem and the possible outcomes. But it also becomes a little less painful and more effective every time I do it. The exercises may not lead to the resolution I seek; only God knows if it will or won’t. But my peace is found in doing the work, engaging with God and trusting Him just as praying for peace will sometimes lead us further into our difficulties, but closer to our source of true shalom. 

How might you draw closer to the Lord? Have you been avoiding or dodging a particular difficulty or problem rather than meeting with God about it and confronting your discomfort or confusion? What will it take for you to sit with the Lord and share your discouragement, fears, or anxieties with Him, who cares for you?

• The Reformation Study Bible, Joshua 1:9, Reformation Trust Publishing (Ligonier Ministries), Sanford, Fl., 2015.
• ESV Study Bible Notes, Joshua 1:8-9, (digital edition), Crossway, 2008.
• Tripp, Paul David, “New Morning Mercies,” January 14, Crossway, Wheaton, IL, 2014.
• John Gill’s Exposition on the Whole Bible, Luke 1:14, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/luke-1.html

January 17, 2019 

I have been working on this devotion about peace for eight days, since January 1^st. I have been occupied with it in my mind, in my heart, and prayer. However, the only peace I could find in actually producing a written article was to wait—to wait until pain medication wore off enough to focus, or to wait for just the right time. It’s been hard to be peaceful while I am experiencing physical pain during rehab. It’s also hard to find peace when I have friends who are suffering—a close friend and her family who are grieving the loss of two family members, a friend in Africa undergoing major surgery, another friend who is under observation for a brain condition, and children of friends who are in the painful stages of rehab from surgery. In Elizabeth Turnage’s soon to be published book, “The Waiting Room,” she writes about the emotional pain we experience when we await news about our loved ones. “It is not unusual to have wild swings of emotion from extreme anger and frustration to amazing kindness to strangers while enduring the waiting room for a loved one. You may not even recognize yourself.” (1) Peace is difficult to grasp at times.

The Bible’s conception of peace is shalom, which I embrace as the highest form of peace from Christ. “In the Hebrew ‘peace’ is the word shalom. Like ‘salvation’ to which it is closely linked, shalom is a large, embracing word for the good that comes to one God favors. It has to do with personal well-being in all respects. On the spiritual level, it embraces “peace with God” through the work of Jesus Christ. On the material level, it can mean prosperity. On the personal level, it has to do with a tranquil state of mind that comes from placing one’s entire hope in God’s Word. Alexander Maclaren speaks of it as encompassing “a restful heart… a submitted will… an obedient life … [and] freedom from temptations.”(2) 

When I think of the definitions of words I often compare them to a piece of artwork that has positive (filled) and negative (empty) spaces—both are necessary to a painting or drawing. I appreciate that three out of four of Maclaren’s characteristics of shalom are positive and only one is expressed as a negative (freedom from temptations). This year, I will work through the truth about God’s promised shalom for us in Jesus Christ. The positive aspects of peace that we will explore will include security, restfulness, protection, being close to God, fearing the Lord, submitting to God’s will and commands, forgiveness, reconciliation, faith in God’s promises and providence, contentment, justice, joy, and uplifting Christian fellowship. But there is that first “negative”  we will explore—God’s command to “not be afraid” or “do not fear,” which frequently appear in Scripture. 

During my month of post-operative pain, I have realized that physical and emotional pain can make us fearful and confused even when it is expected. Knowing that God uses pain for our character development and dependence on Him helps us to focus on Him  rather than on the means of our sanctification. Not all of our suffering is spiritual, but all of our pain is useful if we remember God’s admonitions to trust Him. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4) “Sheep are timorous creatures, and so are Christ’s people; but when he the shepherd is [with] them, to sympathize with them under all their afflictions, to revive and comfort them with the cordials of his love and promises of his grace, to bear them up and support them with his mighty arm of power, to teach and instruct them by every providence, and sanctify all unto them; their fears are driven away, and they pass through the dark valley, the deep waters, and fiery trials, with courage and cheerfulness… the shepherd with his rod, staff, or crook, directs the sheep where to go, pushes forward those that are behind, and fetches back those that go astray; as well as drives away dogs, wolves, bears… that would make a prey of the flock, and of such use is the word of God, attended with the power of Christ and his Spirit; it points out the path of faith, truth, and holiness, the saints should walk in.”  (3) 

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1) 

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10) 

As we walk through life, gaining experience and practice of looking to God for help when we are afraid, our repository of God’s faithful assistance and providence give us ammunition against the threat of fear, with its confusion and anxiety. Jesus’s apostles were in the process of learning about Christ’s peace that overcame even the forces of nature when “…in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, ‘It is a ghost!’ and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.’” (Matthew 14:25-27)

Where are you in your learning to trust God with your fears? Does it take days or weeks of nervous fretting before you will see the peace that God gives and take to heart his command to not fear? What kind of fears ensnare you? Are you afraid of losing your popularity or position in your company or ministry? Are you afraid of growing old, ill, and miserable? Do you fear losing your children to questionable cultural standards and philosophies? Are you worried that you aren’t “good enough” in some area or skill to begin a new vocation or ministry? Will you embrace God’s shalom for you, to rest in Him who created you and called you out to faith in Christ, for His glory? Is Jesus speaking to you, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid?”

(1) Turnage, Elizabeth, “The Waiting Room,” pre-publication copy, Ó2019 by Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage.  

(2) Boice, James Montgomery, Boice Expositional Commentary Series, Psalm 119:165, 1998 by Baker Books. (Maclaren, Alexander, “Expositions of Holy Scripture,” 329–35.)

(3) John Gill’s Exposition on the Whole Bible, Psalm 23:4,  https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/psalms-23.html

January 9, 2019

Happy New Year!

On January 1, 2018 I set a goal to write a blog devotion every day for a year. I have completed that project.

In 2019 I am considering a weekly devotion, rather than a daily blog. I hope you will find future postings helpful, based on a topical study of Scripture, both Old and New Testament.

If you have signed up to receive my posts in your email you will continue to do so. Of course, you may change your preferences at any time.

May God be your guide in 2019, for the sake of Christ.

Joanne