Monday 30th March 2020 Devotion
Scripture:- Luke 2:1-14
Topic:- Peace God’s Ultimate Goal [1]
Text:- Romans 12:18
“Peace is not the absence of stress but the presence of the Savior.” God’s ultimate goal for humanity is for peace to blanket the earth. His Son, Jesus Christ, was called the “Prince of Peace” by Isaiah the Prophet. See Isaiah 9:6.
That’s because Isaiah saw another day on the prophetic horizon. He described that day as a time when nations would beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. See Isaiah 2:4.
So universal is the longing for peace that this verse, Isaiah 2:4, is engraved on the Isaiah Wall in a park across the street from the United Nations building in New York City. Our yearning for peace is expressed around the world in enormous statues and works of art.
If our Statue of Liberty means anything, it means we are offering a gesture of peace to those who come to live within this country. It’s a symbol of our desire for peace in the world.
Christ of the Andes, on the border between Chile and Argentina, is a gigantic figure constructed to celebrate and express the hope for peace.
In Paris, there’s the Wall for Peace at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. This glass monument has the word peace written in forty-nine languages, and visitors are encouraged to leave messages of peace in the cracks.
In Tokyo stands a robust statue with arms outstretched toward heaven, and written underneath the statue in Greek and Japanese is the word agape… a testimony to the desire of the Japanese people for peace between their country and others.
Many years ago a man from the Dominican Republic was so concerned and burdened about world peace that he offered himself to be nailed to a cross as a sacrifice for world peace. As thousands watched on television, six-inch stainless steel spikes were driven into his hands and feet. He had planned to remain on the cross for forty-eight hours, but after only twenty hours he had to cut short his voluntary crucifixion because of an infection that developed in his right foot. The newspaper headline the next day read as follows: “Crucifixion for Peace Falls Short.”
That headline could summarize just about everything that’s been done in our world to find true peace. It all has fallen short of its goal.
Someone observed that Washington, DC, has a large assortment of peace monuments; we build one after each war.
I may be realistic about the world’s efforts to achieve peace, but I am not cynical. Working for peace is a noble effort, perhaps the noblest. Jesus said peacemakers “shall be called sons of God.” See Matthew 5:9.
And the Apostle Paul said in Romans 12:18, yet as much as everyone claims to want peace in the world, it’s been an elusive goal throughout human history. And now we see the world becoming an even more dangerous place.
In the midst of all that worries us, how do we find the peace of God? We make it our mission, and we do the work to receive it.
Think about what you do when you have to be somewhere but you can’t find your car keys. You frantically search for them. And while you’re searching, you’re worrying about where you’re supposed to be and who’s waiting for you and what you’ll miss. You’re distracted, upset, and you have no memory of where you left those keys!
But as soon as you find them, the memory of putting them there comes back to you — because it was there all along. You just let other thoughts crowd it out.
God’s peace is one of the keys to a life beyond amazing, and finding it is a serious endeavor. God’s peace is one of the keys to a life beyond amazing, and finding it is a serious endeavor.
Let the desire to know that peace fill your heart and be your focus. Search the likely places and do the likely things with calmness and faith. Don’t let the pressure and uncertainty of the world distract you.
Peace is the reason God sent His only Son to earth. He is in truth the Prince of Peace, and His peace is the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.. See Philippians 4:7.
When He appeared for the first time on this earth in a manger in Bethlehem, the Angels announced His arrival with these words: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men! See Luke 2:14.
I encourage you to cultivate God’s peace in your life. And I can tell you how. First, understand what God’s peace means for you. Then, ask for it and desire it with all your heart. Finally, do the things that open your heart to accept it when it arrives.
Prayer Point:- Oh Lord God, let Your peace that passes all understanding envelope me henceforth by fire, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Have A Lovely Monday!
