I NO LONGER PRAY FOR PEACE

A Poem by Ann Weems
 
On the edge of war, one foot already in,
I no longer pray for peace:
I pray for miracles.
I pray that stone hearts will turn
to tenderheartedness,
and evil intentions will turn
to mercifulness,
and all the soldiers already deployed
will be snatched out of harm's way,
and the whole world will be
astounded onto its knees.
I pray that all the "God talk"
will take bones,
and stand up and shed
its cloak of faithlessness,
and walk again in its powerful truth.
I pray that the whole world might
sit down together and share
its bread and its wine.
Some say there is no hope,
but then I've always applauded the holy fools
who never seem to give up on
the scandalousness of our faith:
that we are loved by God......
that we can truly love one another.
I no longer pray for peace:
I pray for miracles.

#5296

YOU ARE ACCEPTED

“Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through who we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand.”  (Romans 5:1-2a)

It strikes us when, year after year, the longed-for perfection of life does not appear, when the old compulsions reign within us as they have for decades, when despair destroys all joy and courage. Sometimes at that moment a wave of light breaks into our darkness, and it is as though a voice were saying: “You are accepted. You are accepted, accepted by that which is greater than you… Do not try to do anything now; do not perform anything; do not intend anything. Simply accept the fact that you are accepted!” If that happens to us, we experience grace. After such an experience we may not be better than before, and we may not believe more than before. But everything is transformed. In that moment, grace conquers sin, and reconciliation bridges the gulf of estrangement. 

-- Paul Tillich in “The Shaking of the Foundations”

#5295

FUEL FOR THE SPIRIT

“Happy are those who trust in the Lord.”  (Proverbs 16:20b NRSV)

God made us: invented us as a person invents an engine. A car is made to run on petrol, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way without bothering about religion. God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing. 

-- British Author C. S. Lewis in “Mere Christianity” (1952)

#5294

DEPENDENT ON THE SPIRIT

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”  (Galatians 5:22-23a NRSV)

We are responsible to clothe ourselves with Christlike character (Colossians 3:12), but we are dependent on God’s Spirit to produce within us His “fruit.” We cannot make one inch of progress in sanctification apart from the powerful working of the Spirit in us. And He does this, not because we have earned it with our commitment and discipline, but because of His grace. 

-- Jerry Bridges

#5293

SIT STILL AND TRUST

“For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, ‘Do not fear; I will help you.’”  (Isaiah 41:13 NIV) 

We need to hear that God is still in control. We need to hear that it’s not over until He says so. We need to hear that life’s mishaps and tragedies are not a reason to bail out. They are simply a reason to sit tight.

Corrie ten Boom used to say, “When the train goes through a tunnel and the world gets dark, do you jump out? Of course not. You sit still and trust the engineer to get you through.”…

The way to deal with discouragement? The cure for disappointment? Go back and read the story of God. Read it again and again. Be reminded that you aren’t the first person to weep. And you aren’t the first person to be helped.

Read the story and remember, the story is yours! 

-- Max Lucado in “He Still Moves Stones”

#5292

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY CAN MAKE

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed fervently for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. “God, how could you do this to me?” he cried.

Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. “How did you know I was here?” asked the weary man of his rescuers. “We saw your smoke signal,” they replied. 

It is easy to get discouraged when things are going badly. But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering.

Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground; it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God. 

-- Source Unknown

#5291

COMPANIONS FOR THE JOURNEY

“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another -- and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”  (Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV)

Jesus may be God Incarnate, Lord of All Creation, Emmanuel, Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace, Coming Messiah, Light of Life, and so on, but the Master Himself deliberately engaged His public ministry here on earth by surrounding Himself with a small covenant group of other men who knew and loved God. How much more should we place ourselves in the company of fellow believers?

Jesus is our model and guide. Understanding and committing to the same spiritual disciplines the Master found important in His ministry among us is no small potatoes. There’s no way we can close our eyes to Christ’s precedent: finding companions for the journey is huge. 

-- Derek Maul in “Get Real: A Spiritual Journey for Men”

#5290

LIKE A LITTLE CHILD

Jesus said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."  (Mark 10:14-15 NIV) 

Don’t you see? Children are an apt metaphor for the Kingdom of God because their egos are sized perfectly to get through the door. With children there is no feigned self-reliance or phony independence to balloon their egos to the size where entry into the Kingdom is difficult. The Kingdom of God is God’s Kingdom, not yours or mine or ours. In God’s Kingdom, God is sovereign, not you or me or us. And somehow, children not only know that instinctively, but they’re also okay with it. They’re perfectly willing to let God be God. They come to God with bareheaded, empty-handed, wide-eyed wonder. They have no sense of “having,” only “needing,” and that is precisely the posture required to gain access to God’s Kingdom -- eyes up, hands empty and outstretched. 

-- R. Wayne Stacy in “Where Jesus Walked: A Spiritual Journey Through the Holy Land”

#5289

A VAIN PURSUIT

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world -- the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions -- is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”  (1 John 2:15-17 ESV)

Finding meaning in life apart from God is a vain pursuit. Security and contentment are found only in a personal relationship with God. The contentment we find in the opportunities and successes of this life is temporary. The more we expect our successes to be permanent, the more quickly they are gone.

-- Life Application Bible

#5288

CONSIDER THE MIRACLE

"You made my whole being; You formed me in my mother’s body. I praise You because You made me in an amazing and wonderful way.”  (Psalm 139:13-14 NCV)

As David thought about the individual attention to detail God took in creating him, God’s goodness and power overwhelmed him. His automatic response was to praise God for what He’d done.

Consider the miracle of your own creation by considering David’s words. Think about the intricacy of the inner workings of your body, your unique physical frame, and the specific personality traits that make you you. Then do as David did. Thank God for who He created you to be and for the purpose He has for your life. 

-- From “100 Favorite Bible Verses”

#5287

AN UNUSUAL VALENTINE'S CARD

Imagine receiving in the mail a large red envelope for Valentine's Day. You wonder who could have sent such a big card addressed to you personally. You open it and begin to read the printed words, anticipating flowery words of praise. Instead you find words like "your heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked," (Jeremiah 17:9) and "from within, out of your heart come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly" (Mark 7:21-22). 

You look again at the address to make sure it wasn't meant for your neighbor. But no, it has your name on it.

You continue reading the Valentine card. "You don't always do the right things" and "you've fallen short of My hopes for you" (Romans 3:23). You then look across the page and see in big letters the word "BUT." This is followed by "I loved you so much that I gave My one and only Son for you, so that by believing in Him you will not die but have eternal life" (John 3:16). The card is signed, "Love always, God."

An unusual Valentine's Day card? Maybe, but one that announces the greatest love gift of all time. Now all that's left is to accept the gift. 

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson

#5286

THE SEEDS OF FAITH

A woman dreamed she walked into a brand new shop in a brand new mall. She was more than a little surprised to discover Jesus behind the counter. "What kind of merchandise is for sale here?" the woman asked. "Everything to fulfill all your burning desires," Jesus answered. The woman couldn't believe her ears: everything to fulfill all her burning desires?

After thinking it over, she decided to ask for only the very best things that any human being could passionately desire. "I would like to have peace of mind, and love, and freedom from fear, and genuine happiness," she finally said, then added, "And not just for me, but for the whole world... for everyone on the face of the earth."

Jesus smiled. "Perhaps you are misunderstanding," he said. "We don't sell fruit here. We only sell seeds."

-- Leonard Sweet in “A Cup of Coffee at the SoulCafe” 

#5285

COMMITMENT – AN ACT OF THE WILL

[A few years ago there was] a caricature of commitment in that of a haughty grande dame, looking sternly through her spectacles, saying, “My mind’s made up, don’t confuse me with facts.” In a culture in which open-mindedness is the greatest virtue, the corresponding vice is, of course, “closed-mindedness.” And this has become confused with commitment. Yet, actually, far from being closed, committed thinking is the product of intellectual vigor. Very often, the lack of commitment indicates the wishy-washiness of intellectual laziness. It is the uncommitted person who lacks the rigor and discipline to really examine, really decide, really make up his mind.

Without commitment, one can acquire knowledge. It is only through commitment that one can apply that knowledge to life and gain Solomon’s desire, an understanding heart. Far from being a retreat from reason, commitment is the most rational thing a person can do. Recognizing the brevity of life, it makes the best sense to survey the options and then make choices; to choose and exercise a set of beliefs that will pattern and give meaning to life; to choose a person with whom a lasting, deepening, and truly intimate relationship can be established; to answer to a vocation with dedication…

Commitment is an act of the will, based on both reason and faith. As such, acts of commitment mark us as most fully human.

“Choose this day whom you will serve,… but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”  (Joshua 24:15 NRSV) 

-- Maxine Hancock in “Re-evaluating Your Commitments: How to Strength the Permanent and Reassess the Temporary”

#5284

A FIRMER GRASP OF GOD

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.”  (Psalm 46:1-3 NRSV)

God is a very present help in trouble, but we sometimes allow bitterness to keep Him at a distance and thus miss His help.

The young Irish immigrant, Joseph Scriven (1820-1886) was deeply in love with a young woman, and their marriage plans had been made. Not long before their wedding day, however, she was drowned.  For months Scriven was bitter, in utter despair. At last he turned to Christ, and through His grace, he found peace and comfort. Out of this experience he wrote the familiar hymn which has brought consolation to millions of aching hearts: “What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and grief to bear!”

Sometimes our way lies in the sunlight. This was the case for Joseph Scriven as he approached his wedding day. But like him, we may find that our path also leads through the dark shadows of loss, disappointment, and sorrow. At times like this it is within our power to turn our suffering into occasions for a firmer grasp of God, and make them channels through which a surer and brighter hope may flow into our souls. 

-- Billy Graham in “Who’s in Charge of a World That Suffers?: Trusting God in Difficult Circumstances”

#5283

GRACE AND PEACE THROUGH PRAYER

“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”  (2 Peter 1:2 NIV)

Prayer is not a luxury or merely a spiritual exercise. It is the greatest integrative force we know. I don’t mean the kind of prayer that asks for things to support our lifestyle or prayer to vindicate the rightness of our understanding, but prayer that with an open heart and open mind brings the things of everyday life, our problems and concerns, and the people of our life to God. This prayer bridges the gap we so often sense between our daily lives and our spiritual lives. It relates everything to God in the knowledge that He cares and understands. And often in praying about the things that confuse us and pull us in many directions, we find that in laying them out before God the relative importance of things becomes clearer, we remember things we overlooked, and in that we begin to sense something of God’s “grace and peace.” 

-- Earl F. Palmer in “Integrity in a World of Pretense: Insights from the Book of Philippians”

#5282

STAYING READY

"But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour." (Matthew 24:43-44 NRSV)

I remember reading a story Dr. Charles Swindoll told in a book called “Rise and Shine” some years ago.  Chuck talked about a time when he was in school, working in a machine shop.  He worked with an old-timer named Tex.  Ol' Tex had a kind of invisible sensor down inside.  He seldom had to look at the clock.  He always knew when it was getting close to that last whistle.  Without fail, Tex was all washed up and ready to punch out a couple of minutes before the whistle blew.  On one occasion, Swindoll reminded him that it was about time to start getting ready for quittin' time, and he never forgot the man's reply.  He told Chuck, "I stay ready to keep from getting' ready for quittin' time."

I like that.  How do you prepare for the Lord's return?  You stay ready to keep from getting ready.  Because if you do stay ready, you never have to scramble around to get ready, do you?  And that's the impact the thought of the Lord's return ought to have on us.  Because He may return at any time, we should live our lives as the book of Titus tells us -- in a godly righteous way, so that we might always be ready. 

-- David Jeremiah in “Jesus' Final Warning” 

#5281

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Jesus said, “Strive first for the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  (Matthew 6:33 NRSV

If we only had eyes to see and ears to hear and wits to understand, we would know that the Kingdom of God in the sense of holiness, goodness, beauty is as close as breathing and is crying out to be born both within ourselves and within the world; we would know that the Kingdom of God is what we all of us hunger for above all other things even when we don’t know its name or realize that it’s what we’re starving to death for. The Kingdom of God is where our best dreams come from and our truest prayers. We glimpse it at those moments when we find ourselves being better than we are and wiser than we know. We catch sight of it when at some moment of crisis a strength seems to come to us that is greater than our own strength. The Kingdom of God is where we belong. It is home, and whether we realize it or not, I think we are all of us homesick for it.

-- Frederick Buechner in “Secrets in the Dark: A Life in Sermons”

BEING KIND

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”  (Ephesians 4:32 ESV)

Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.

-- Mother Teresa 

#5279

BEING AN EMBARRASSMENT

Let each of us judge ourselves, making sure that, insofar as possible, we live out our convictions with as much consistency, honesty, and intelligence as possible.  And let none of us be condescending or judgmental toward those who are trying to do the same, even when they seem a bit foolish in our eyes.  Let each of us be as wise as serpents as we judge ourselves, and as gentle as doves when it comes to judging others.  Once more, what some of us might deem foolish or embarrassing may, in reality, be profoundly effective.  It's one thing to be an embarrassment to God as we follow Jesus; it's something else entirely to be an embarrassment for God.  Let us pray for the courage to be willing to be embarrassed for God. 

-- Tony Campolo in “Following Jesus Without Embarrassing God”

#5278

LIVING IN MY PRESENCE

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength;…”  (Habakkuk 3:17-19a NIV)

Remember that Joy is not dependent on your circumstances. Some of the world’s most miserable people are those whose circumstances seem the most enviable. People who reach the top of the ladder career-wise are often surprised to find emptiness awaiting them. True Joy is a by-product of living in My Presence. Therefore you can experience it in palaces, in prisons… anywhere.

Do not judge a day as devoid of Joy just because it contains difficulties. Instead, concentrate on staying in communication with Me. Many of the problems that clamor for your attention will resolve themselves. Other matters you must deal with, but I will help you with them. If you make problem-solving secondary to the goal of living closer to Me, you can find Joy even in your most difficult days. 

-- From “Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence” by Sarah Young

#5277