March 8 - Be Found at Peace

So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. (2 Peter 3:14)

I’m convinced that one of the distinguishing marks of the End-Times Church will be peace. In Peter’s second epistle he speaks of those who scoff at biblical prophecy regarding the Lord’s return. Then Peter moves into a harrowing description of what will happen: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare” (2 Peter 3:10).

These are all things that should bring great fear to those who read and believe. Yet followers of Jesus should be those who actually “look forward to the day of God” and live in peace even in the midst of chaos and confusion. It is a peace that Jesus provides for us that is not based on circumstances around us or even feelings within us. It is a peace that comes from his presence in our lives. It is a peace that allows us to walk through even extremely difficult circumstances because he is with us.

I remember my dad telling me how the troop ship he was in during World War 2, while on its way to England in a convoy, was attacked by German U-boats. Obviously there was not a thing that soldiers on a troop ship could do to defend against submarine attack. So Dad and some of his friends did the only thing they knew to do . . . they prayed. Down in the bunk rooms of the ship, they gathered on the bunks to pray and ask God’s protection. Dad said that was the only sense of peace they felt on the whole trip. Not a ship was lost and they made it safely to England.

Your fears may not be about the end-times, and likely do not deal with submarine attacks, but we all face fear and anxiety of some sort. It may be relationships in your family, it might be financial problems, or even generalized anxiety over life itself. I want you to know that Jesus is willing and ready to walk with you through your shadows and bring you to his light in peace. It doesn’t always mean that your circumstances change, but it does mean you face them from a whole different perspective. It’s the peaceful presence of Christ that makes all the difference.

Lord, I am so grateful for your presence that brings peace. It is so easy for me to fall back into my own fears, insecurities and anxieties, while all along you were there, waiting for me to turn to you. Forgive me for forgetting your readiness and love. I turn to you now for the peace that I desperately need in my walk through this world.

--Adapted from Prayer, Peace and the Presence of God (A 30-Day Journey to Experience the Shalom of Jesus) by David Butts. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.

TWFYT:

UR: God's Unfailing Love

In [Christ Jesus] and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. - Ephesians 3:12 (NIV)

I awoke with questions in my mind: What if my mom had not gotten sick? What is life like for her now — for my father and our whole family? What if we didn’t have to deal with this illness in the middle of a pandemic?

My mom’s first online consultation with the gastroenterologist was more than a year ago. What we thought to be a simple diagnosis of an upset stomach ended with a series of tests and medical procedures, including two biopsies. The initial biopsy suggested a benign condition. But my mom’s stomach pain persisted, and she needed another series of tests and hospitalizations. Finally, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

When my “what if” questions became long and tiring, I began to pray. I did not want to dwell on those questions which were not only unanswerable but unhealthy and unhelpful. As I began crying out to the Lord for help, suddenly I felt at peace. My heart felt the love of God and the love of my family. Daily video calls with my mom and other family members became an expression of love and devotion for one another, and I enjoyed seeing their happy faces.

God hears our cries for help and comforts us. When we pray, God will draw us closer, giving us an awareness of our Creator’s unfailing love and living hope.

ODB:

Using What God Provides

Then the Lord said to [Moses], “What is that in your hand?” Exodus 4:2

READ Exodus 4:1–5

LISTEN ONLINE

The Brisbane City Hall in Australia was a dazzling 1920s project. White stairs boasted marble from the same quarry Michelangelo used for his David sculpture. The tower reflected Venice’s St. Mark’s Basilica, and the copper dome was the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. The builders intended for a massive Angel of Peace to adorn the pinnacle, but there was a problem: no money left. Plumber Fred Johnson came to the rescue. He used a toilet cistern, an old lamp post, and bits of scrap metal to craft the iconic orb that’s crowned the tower for nearly one hundred years.

Much like Fred Johnson and his use of what he had, we can join God’s work with whatever we have—large or small. When He asked Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt, Moses balked: “What if they do not . . . listen to me?” (Exodus 4:1) God answered with a simple question: “What is that in your hand?” (v. 2). Moses held a staff, a simple stick. God told him to throw the staff on the ground, “and it became a snake” (v. 3). Then He instructed Moses to pick up the snake, and it turned back into a staff. All Moses needed to do, God explained, was carry the staff and trust Him to do the rest. Remarkably, He would use that stick in Moses’ hand to rescue Israel from the Egyptians (7:10–12; 17:5–7).

What we have might not seem like much to us, but with God, whatever we have will be enough. He takes our ordinary resources and uses them for His work.

By Winn Collier

REFLECT & PRAY

What small thing can you use for God? Why is it vital that you trust Him with it?

Dear God, I surrender what I have to You.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

In Exodus 3–4, Moses’ humanity is on full display. This great prophet of God is also a human being we can relate to. In fear, he refuses to accept God’s commission to lead His people out of slavery. This occurs even as God performs miracles in Moses’ presence—the bush unconsumed by fire (3:1-3) and his staff turning into a snake (4:3). When Moses’ staff becomes a serpent, he reacts as most of us would: “he ran from it” (v. 3). He did, however, show courage and faith when he grabbed the snake by the tail (v. 4). The safest way to hold a venomous snake (don’t do it!) is behind the head, preventing it from striking. The power wasn’t in Moses’ staff, nor was it in himself. The power was in the God of Israel, who was infinitely greater than the gods of Egypt, including the snake.

Tim Gustafson

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