June 16 - Choosing Peace

The book of Genesis tells us a story of persistent pursuit of peace in the face of opposition. Isaac, the son of Abraham, moved near the Philistines during a time of famine in the land. God blessed Isaac’s clan greatly and the Philistines became jealous and made Isaac and his people move further away. Moving to the Valley of Gerar, Isaac’s servants dug a well to provide needed water. The Philistine herdsmen argued with Isaac’s herdsmen and they moved farther away and dug another well. Again, the Philistines insisted that the water belonged to them. So, once again Isaac’s clan moved again and dug a third well. This time, they were able to establish a dwelling place for their people.

This story in Genesis 26 ends with the King of the Philistines, Abimelek coming to Isaac and asking for a covenant of peace:

Meanwhile, Abimelek had come to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his personal adviser and Phicol the commander of his forces. Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me, since you were hostile to me and sent me away?”

They answered, “We saw clearly that the Lord was with you; so we said, ‘There ought to be a sworn agreement between us’—between us and you. Let us make a treaty with you that you will do us no harm, just as we did not harm you but always treated you well and sent you away peacefully. And now you are blessed by the Lord.”

Isaac then made a feast for them, and they ate and drank. Early the next morning the men swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they went away peacefully.

That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. They said, “We’ve found water!” He called it Shibah, and to this day the name of the town has been Beersheba. (Genesis 26:26-33)

We can learn much from Isaac about pursuing peace. Even though he had a position of wealth and power, he did not use that to try to dominate his neighbors. As opposition arose, he took every opportunity to choose the path of peace. At great inconvenience, he moved his flocks and family several times to avoid provoking the Philistines. When the Philistine leader who had created such tension came to him, instead of rejecting him, Isaac accepted the overtures of peace and created a covenant of peace with his neighbors. Persistent pursuit of peace often pays big dividends in the end.

Most of us have those who, for one reason or another, have chosen not to walk in peace with us. It might be a co-worker, a fellow student, a neighbor, or even a relative who just decides they don’t like you and wants to make your life miserable. Like Isaac, we can choose to be a peacemaker, in so far as it depends upon us. That’s what followers of Jesus do.

Ask the Lord to show you one person in your life with whom you need to work on developing a more peaceful relationship. Begin to pray for that person and situation, that Jesus would use you to be an agent of his peace.

Lord, I hate conflict. I really do want to live in peace with everyone. Help me to pursue peace and not just be apathetic about uncomfortable situations. Show me how to do all that I can to live in peace with others. I want to reflect your peace to everyone I know.

--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.

Prayer Points

• Praise God that he wants you to have the full measure of his joy in you as he prayed to his Father in Jn. 17:13.
• Thank God for filling your heart with joy (Ps. 4:7).
• Confess any inability to feel “the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Neh. 8:10) due to some situation that may trouble you right now.
• Commit yourself to reading Paul’s letter to the Philippians to inspire you toward greater joy.
• Ask God to help you be joyful in every situation and to do everything without complaining or arguing (Phil. 2:14).
• Pray that your family and friends may see your joy in the Lord in all situations and likewise be joyful.