Devotion.al

  • Peace and Holiness

    Peace and Holiness

    Ezekiel 37:24-28, Romans 12:9-18, Hebrews 12:7-15

    “I will make a of with them…”
    Ezekiel 37:26

    “Live in harmony with one another…”
    Romans 12:16

    “If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peach with everyone.”
    Romans 12:18

    “Pursue peace with everyone, and —without it no one will see the Lord.”
    Hebrews 12:14

    When God speaks to Ezekiel, the consequences of a life outside of and away from God are showing up to the Israelites, and it is not a pretty picture. Something to understand throughout Ezekiel is that while the consequences of not living life with God is bad, God promises hope. Especially a hope which cannot be earned. God makes the new covenant of peace.

    We, too, have a covenant with peace to live out. It is the covenant of peace with others. In Romans 12, Paul is talking specifically about the peace between members of the Christian . However, this peace is supposed to also spill out into our outside of the church framily.

    The author of Hebrews, however, makes what can be chilling ties to peace with others: holiness and divine life. Mercifully, the author of Hebrews uses the word “pursue.” Other translations have it as “strive for” or “chase after.” As we read yesterday, peace requires effort.

    Peace and holiness are tied by the author of the Hebrews. This is not unreasonable, as the ultimate peace is given by God who is . The importance of living at peace with one another—especially, but not exclusively, in the church framily—cannot be overstated. If the Children of God are not at peace with one another, what kind of peace can they with others?

    1) What does it mean to you that “no one will see the Lord” when it comes to being at peace with one another and holiness?

    2) Is being at peace with one another important to you? Why or why not?

    KD) We all struggle with being at peace with one another. Are you pursuing peace with others? What are you willing to up to have peace?

  • Working At Peace

    Working At Peace

    Psalm 29, Romans 5:1-11, Philippians 4:2-9,

    “The LORD gives his people ; the LORD blesses his people with .”
    Psalm 29:11

    “…we have peace with God through our Lord Christ.”
    Romans 5:1

    “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
    Philippians 4:7

    Through Jesus Christ we are at peace with God (). This is also expressed as being God’s children, the LORD’s people. So, God gives us strength. This strength, the fulfilled through Christ, is a peace that surpasses all understanding.

    Peace isn’t a one-time thing. Peace is not something that just happens. Peace is hard work. For us to be reconciled to God (“…peace with God…”), the of God came to earth, became one of us, and died for all of us. If Jesus died for this peace, why do we ever think it is easy?

    It takes strength to be at peace. It takes effort to be at peace. “That person cut me off, they…” Be at peace? Have you driven around here? Just driving can cause one to not be at peace with the people around them! Then there are the , work, and general people dynamics which just makes being at peace hard!

    PEACE IS HARD WORK! “I’m at peace about this.” If one is truly at peace about something, there was effort involved. Sometimes we are at “peace” because we are fatalistic about it. Sometimes we are at “peace”, because we “know” the result. Sometimes we are at peace because we surrendered it to God.

    1) Why do you think “spiritual” peace is viewed as something “just” given?

    2) Have you ever had to work really hard to be at peace about something?

    3) Should you feel guilty about having to work at being at peace?

    4) Is being at peace the effort?

    KD) Are you at peace with God? If not, why not? If you are, how?

  • Light Walking

    Light Walking

    Psalm 4, Isaiah 26:1-13, Matthew 5:13-16

    “Many are asking, ‘Who can show us anything good?’ Let the light of your face shine on us LORD.”
    Psalm 4:6

    “I long for you in the night; yes, my spirit within me diligently seeks you…”
    Isaiah 26:9

    Yesterday, we read about being the light of Christ. In the context of yesterday’s reading, it is the light of Christ that shines onto and into a world of . Today is Monday. People went to work or school or out into the public. Did you? Did you remember that you are a bearer of Christ’s light of peace? Or were you the person that hid the light underneath the basket.

    Have you ever walked around with a lit candle (or candles, if we’re talking birthday cakes)? Think about walking and the . If you walk too , the candle goes out. If you put your hand in front of the candle, the light going ahead of you is blocked. Lastly, if you stare at the candle while walking to watch and make sure the candle doesn’t go out, your eyes begin to hurt, and you can temporarily blind yourself.

    Too fast? In this day and age, it is far too easy to go too fast. Too fast driving, too fast living, and, most importantly, too fast to have deep relationships.

    Hand in front? If you prevent the light from guiding and informing your path, you will up someplace other than wants you.

    Staring at the candle? Too focused on doing “all the right things” (the light is good) causes one to focus not so much on something bad. It also blinds us to what is around us and the need to do something about it. What’s the point of bringing the light without sharing the peace?

    1) We each have one of those areas where we are focused on doing stuff and forget people. Where are you being too fast in your life?

    2) We all struggle with and , and so try to protect the light of Christ we have. Yet, if we spend all our efforts protecting it, it does not its purpose. How are you trying to control things that is keeping God from working through you?

    3) Focusing on the flame? Being like Jesus, is not staring at the light that he gives, but doing what he did. You are not Jesus, however, you’re going to make a mistake. You’re going to make a mess. Focus on carrying the light into the mess of your life and the lives of . Where do you need to spread the light, rather than focusing on your understanding of the light?

  • Quenching Our Light

    Quenching Our Light

    Isaiah 9:6-7, John 8:12-19, Philippians 4:4-9

    We are sheltered from the dark. For the most of us, is but a moment away, whether it is the dining room light or a flashlight. If you’ve ever spent a night out in the wilderness with a new moon (i.e., completely shaded by the Earth, and not off light), you experienced a wild . In darkness, even in the “safe” darkness of our homes, our hearing becomes more sensitive, and we have a tendency to jump at noises that we don’t even notice in the day.

    “It is better to light the candle than to curse the darkness,” said William L. Watkinson in his sermon, “The Invincible Strategy.” The Christian doesn’t turn a blind eye to the darkness that covers the world. Instead, the Christian chooses to bear the light of Christ into the world. In a dark room, a candle can shed enough light to make us feel more comfortable. When confronted by darkness, light brings us .

    In a similar way, Jesus Christ, the of God, brought light into the world, and our lives. The light of Christ, if we allow it, burns away the darkness inside of us that often seems to overtake us. When the light of Christ pushes away the dark, we can in the warmth of Christ and find peace. How this works is a spiritual . That it works is testified to by generations of Christ followers.

    Yet, we often are the worst quenchers of Christ’s light in ourselves and others. Whether it’s through envy, greed, pain (/emotional/spiritual), accident, or error, many things can quench the light of Christ in others. We can quench our own light by putting too much emphasis on the ways (and errors) of the world and others, and continually looking left, right, backwards, forwards, instead of looking up to Christ.

    1) How is our comfort in the dark at home, similar to the struggles we have a Christian ?

    2) We often compare ourselves to others, or hold ourselves to a very high standard, when carrying the light of Christ. How is that good? How is that bad? What is the dividing point between good and bad?

    3/KD) Being the light can be quite simple, but we often make it hard for ourselves, and for others. What is something simple that you will do today to be the light of Christ for someone else? What will you do tomorrow?

  • To Keep or To Make Peace

    To Keep or To Make Peace

    Psalm 16, Matthew 5:1-10, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

    “When a person’s ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at with him.”
    Psalm 16:7

    In many parts of the world, the United Nations has stationed peacekeepers. Their purpose is to be a soothing in the midst of conflict that has, temporarily, stopped bloodshedding. However, they do not make peace. Their goal is to keep conflict from breaking back out.

    Often, sadly, they are merely symbolic. They often are not empowered to actually make peace, and they will usually be pulled out of an area they were stationed in if hostilities rise again. This is not to say that the UN Peacekeepers should violently enforce the peace. That would be counterproductive.

    In daily , people will do many things to keep the peace, even if it is not (even from their own ) the best thing spiritually, socially, economically, or physically. Peace is kept by doing nothing. It is a peace of questionable value.

    In this section of Matthew called the Beatitudes, the word peacemaker is nearest to reconciler. In other words, “Blessed are the reconcilers.” states that part of the life is to be reconcilers. We are not only to be to God (through ) and fellow Christians but to help the world to come to the table and to be reconciled to God and each other.

    Imagine the whole world reconciled to God and each other. That would be a peace having.

    1. For you, what is the difference between a peacekeeper and a peacemaker?
    2. Being a peacemaker is one of the callings of the Christian life. What are you doing to be a peacemaker?
    3. On the playground, in the classroom, online, or at home, what do you do that isn’t peacemaking? What is one thing you can do this coming week to that?
  • Where Peace Resides

    Where Peace Resides

    Psalm 94, 2 Kings 11:6-23, 1 Peter 5:6-10

    “When I am filled with cares, your brings me .”
    Psalm 94:19

    “Don’t be afraid, for those who are with us outnumber those who are with them.”
    2 Kings 6:16

    “…casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.”
    1 Peter 5:7

    While when we discuss or think of , we often look to the outside. Really, true peace starts on the inside, specifically the inside that is being transformed by the and of Christ. Often when we do not feel at peace, it is because we are allowing something to shake us up. I know I find that hard to accept that I am allowing something to upset me. It may be hard for you to accept, too. However, when we look at the peace promised by Jesus Christ, versus the worries we try to bear on our own, it seems that we often don’t chose Christ’s peace.

    True peace begins with a surrendered will. Not a surrendered will to politicians or , but to Jesus. The King Sennacheribs of the world (see yesterday’s reading) what is already ours, or act as if it is generous to let us live, and that it is their continued generosity for us to continue . Jesus takes our surrendered life, gives us a greater one on this earth then gives us an eternal one.

    1) Why do you think we have to surrender our will to have peace?

    2) Does surrendering our will mean that we are no longer ourselves? Are we no longer an ?

    3) How does being surrendered to Christ and still be yourself work? How does it conflict?

    KD) Put your hands up! Give it up! How is that feeling different than it should be when we surrender to Jesus?

  • Listening for Peace

    Listening for Peace

    Psalm 7, Isaiah 36:13-20, Luke 14:31-33

    is fleeting. We look around the world and cannot help but recognize that a lack of conflict only lasts for a short time. World leaders are speaking well of one another, then the next day attacking one another. People at work or school say positive or encouraging things to us, then say horrible and damaging things to others about us.

    As editors and news-writers know, bad news, wars and bad behavior sells. It seems that we are conditioned to seek out the bad stuff. Good or heart-warming stories often don’t get the eyeballs or the clicks, at least in comparison to the bad.

    When trying to convince the people of Jerusalem to , King Sennacherib has his messenger make huge promises that after taking a moment, one realizes is impossible for the King to do without devastating the other countries he has already dominated (and probably made similar promises to). This is similar to politicians and leaders who make wild promises to those already in their camp, and then even more to those outside their camp in an attempt to draw them in. This is often the promised peace of the world.

    King Sennacherib promises peace, his peace. His peace is the surrendering of self, property and even national to be pulled into his sphere of influence, and be controlled. Even in the States we have people who express themselves in the same way as King Sennacherib.

    All too often, we allow ourselves to believe that everything will be alright (we’ll be “at peace”) when have an item, prosperity, land, or health. We can deceive ourselves and put too much emphasis on what will pass away, rather than what is .

    1) If you listen to a person, such as a politician, talk in a peaceful way or in a warlike way, which are you more likely to ? Is one more realistic than the other?

    2) How do you think that is different than how speaks of peace?

    KD) How do you talk about peace with your friends? How can you help adults in your (or re-learn) about peace?

  • Stirring Up

    Stirring Up

    Psalm 71:1-9, Ezekiel 37:1-14, Matthew 12:9-21

    “Be a rock of refuge for me, where I can always go…”
    Psalm 71:3

    “I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live… I have spoken, and I will do it.”
    Ezekiel 37:14

    “The nations will put their in his .”
    Matthew 12:21 (also see Isaiah 42:1-4)

    When we read Psalm 71, we read chronological age (birth to old), and that is as the Psalmist intended. Let’s look at it differently today. Let’s look at it as our in Christ. Most people (not all, and that’s okay) when they first come to know Jesus Christ are eager to about their new life in him. Often huge life changes occur that bear to the life- that is available through Christ. However, as our ages, often the enthusiasm goes away. We become “old.” In other words, our life in Christ is not very vigorous. Some people start out “old,” because they grew up in the , and knew nothing different, and those around them (having been in the church awhile) were “old” already and were thus not very enlivening to a new believer. There are some who appear “old” due to their personality. They, too, need better ways and habits to invigorate their spiritual lives and the spiritual lives of others.

    By God’s , we don’t have to rely on ourselves. The Spirit that was promised to each and every believer will help us with our spiritual lives and help us help others with their spiritual lives. When we, in partnership with the Holy Spirit and each other, stir up our spiritual lives, the world will look at us and our hope, and the world will hope in His name.

    1) Why is a strong spiritual life an essential component to hope?

    2) What is one thing you can start doing to stir up your spiritual life?

    3/KD) No matter how young or old you are, you are important to other people’s spiritual life. What is one thing you can start doing to stir up others’ spiritual lives?

Devotion.al

Peace and Holiness

Ezekiel 37:24-28, Romans 12:9-18, Hebrews 12:7-15

“I will make a covenant of with them…”
Ezekiel 37:26

“Live in harmony with one another…”
Romans 12:16

“If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peach with everyone.”
Romans 12:18

“Pursue peace with everyone, and —without it no one will see the Lord.”
Hebrews 12:14

When God speaks to Ezekiel, the consequences of a life outside of and away from God are showing up to the Israelites, and it is not a pretty picture. Something to understand throughout Ezekiel is that while the consequences of not living life with God is bad, God promises hope. Especially a hope which cannot be earned. God makes the new covenant of peace.

We, too, have a covenant with peace to live out. It is the covenant of peace with . In Romans 12, is talking specifically about the peace between members of the Christian . However, this peace is supposed to also spill out into our relationships outside of the framily.

The author of Hebrews, however, makes what can be chilling ties to peace with others: holiness and divine life. Mercifully, the author of Hebrews uses the word “pursue.” Other translations have it as “strive for” or “chase after.” As we read yesterday, peace requires effort.

Peace and holiness are tied by the author of the Hebrews. This is not unreasonable, as the ultimate peace is given by God who is . The importance of living at peace with one another—especially, but not exclusively, in the church framily—cannot be overstated. If the Children of God are not at peace with one another, what kind of peace can they with others?

1) What does it mean to you that “no one will see the Lord” when it comes to being at peace with one another and holiness?

2) Is being at peace with one another important to you? Why or why not?

KD) We all struggle with being at peace with one another. Are you pursuing peace with others? What are you willing to give up to have peace?