The Encourager
“Having Peace”
Having Peace
by Jeff Curtis
The peace offering that we read of in the Old Testament reminds Christians of the need for peace today. We live in a world that is constantly at war. Our world is upside down now with the Corvid-19 pandemic. So, with all this going on in our lives, how can we find peace?
We want peace with God. When we sin, we separate ourselves from God and become His enemies (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 5:10); but God wants to be reconciled with us. The message of the new covenant is “Be reconciled to God” (2Corinthians 5:18-21). Reconciliation was made possible by the grace of God, who gave His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross to remove our sins – or to be a propitiation for our sins (Romans 3:23-25; 1John2:2). Because of His death, we, who were once enemies of God, can become His friends (Ephesians 2:12-14). We can be at peace with Him (Romans 5:1).
We want peace within. The cases of the world drag us down. Depression and discouragement weigh heavily upon our souls. However, because we are peace with God, we can have peace within. Knowing that we have been forgiven of our sins and that we are on the way to heaven gives us “peace… which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7; NKJV). We believe that when Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you” (John 14:27), He was talking to us as well as to be His Apostles. The peace we receive from Jesus doesn’t consist of life lived without problems; rather, it is life lived with help to overcome our problems. It is not the same kind of peace worldly people enjoy; because our Lord said, “My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give you” (John 14:27). Even though we may have tribulation, in Christ we can have peace (John 16:33). The peace that Christ gives is the truest peace, the best peace, anyone can enjoy in this world.
We want peace with others. Too many of us have problems with other people. Because we are at peace with God, we can also live in peace with others. Problems may arise because we live among worldly people, but we are to do our best always to live in peace with our neighbors (Romans 12:18). Also, if we live as we should, if we do unto others as we would have them do to us, it is unlikely that we will have much conflict with our neighbors. It is in the church that we enjoy real peace with others. Bound to others by our common love for God and our common salvation in Christ, we can love and be loved; we can comfort others and be comforted. Brotherly love produces peace in our relationships with other human beings.
For the Christian, the prospects for peace are good! We are at peace with God; we can experience peace within; and we can live in peace with others. What should we do in response to the great blessing of peace? (1) We should make sure that we ourselves are enjoying the peace that is available to us. (2) We must take the message of peace – of reconciliation with God – to others.
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Suffering
Richie Thetford
Job 5:7 tells us: “Man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.” Yes, suffering is the burden of humanity.
Perhaps, your heart is aching today, and you say, “What can I do with this burden?” Often God allows us to have burdens to exercise our faith. People who run from problems, for example, those who try to fill the valleys in their lives with drugs or alcohol, are really missing a blessing.
God works to make us more valuable through difficulties and hardships. A bar of iron may be worth $5.00. Make it into horseshoes, and it will be worth $10.00. Make it into needles, and it might be worth hundreds of dollars. Make it into balance wheels for watches and its value might run to tens of thousands of dollars.
To be worth more, it has to be refined, superheated, drawn out, and purified.
Our faith is like that; it grows under pressure (disappointments, trials, difficulties) far more than when things are comfortable. Paul underlined this in Romans chapter 5 where he tells us to rejoice in our sufferings because they are good for us. They teach us patience, and patience develops strength of character and helps us to trust God more each time we exercise it until, finally, our faith and hope are strong and steady.
Accordingly, we’re able to hold our heads high no matter what happens. We know all is well because God loves us. Therefore, strengthen your faith, bear your burden gracefully; trust in God, and He will see you through to the end.
