Category: Thoughts and Meditations

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” – 2 Thessalonians 3:16

Many today long for peace in this unstable, ever-shifting world. For many, recent years have held an endless run of earthquakes that have shaken them to the core. Pandemic. Politics. Economics. Crime. Culture. Anxiety. Fear. Division. Abuse. Scandal. War. Hatred. Violence… In our hearts, we long for genuine, lasting peace, but it’s hard to find.

Peace is hard to find because we’re usually looking for it in the wrong places! We seek peace in human systems, rules, laws, and solutions. We seek peace in rituals, practices, and self. We seek peace in pills and liquids. None of these can bring true and lasting peace! True peace comes from God, because He’s the Lord of peace. In Hebrew, the word for this peace is “shalom”. The Bible calls Jesus the Prince of Peace. He is the Prince of Shalom and apart from Him we’ll never find the lasting shalom our souls desperately desire.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of professing Christians who aren’t particularly peaceful – either publicly or privately. Why is that??? Peace is an essential element of the Fruit of the Spirit. We experience (and display) the peace of God only as we pursue authentic relationship with Christ, walking in the Holy Spirit. It’s only as we increasingly devote our lives to the worship of God, the understanding and application of the Bible to ourselves first and foremost, communion and communication with Christ, life in community with one another, and the service and proclamation of our Lord and His Kingdom that we are transformed by the Lord of peace to be filled with His peace and to radiate peace in this un-peaceful world.

Scripture promises that as we learn to commit all our concerns, troubles, anxieties, fears, and requests to God in thankful prayer we will be blanketed with and guarded by God’s shalom peace that surpasses all understanding. Pursue this peace and may God give you peace today and every day!

“Let them praise his name with dancing,
making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!
For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;
he adorns the humble with salvation.”
– Psalm 149:3-4

God delights in His people! If you’re one of His people whom He has made beautiful and holy to Him by salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, then God delights in YOU! Whatever you may think about yourself, God loves you, cherishes you, and takes pleasure in you. You are very precious to Him. When those made in God’s image do what they were made to do by enjoying a rich relationship with their Creator, worshiping and praising Him, then the circle of joy and delight never ends!

If you’ve been saved from the terrible consequences of sin and death, then you have much to praise God for! If you’ve been united with Christ and changed by His Spirit, then you have much to praise God for! If heaven is your true home and you long for it more each day, then you have much to praise God for! If you know that you’re never alone, never forsaken, never abandoned, and never rejected by God, then you have much to praise God for!

So, praise Him! Praise Him! Praise Him in spoken words and beautiful songs. Praise Him with dancing and music. Praise Him with silence and shouts. Praise Him! Praise Him!

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” – Luke 12:32-34

You might have heard some bad financial news in recent months. Fear not! God’s priorities and promises remain unchanged and crystal clear! As we learn to align our lives to His priorities we also lean into His promises. God’s priority isn’t the building up of our personal financial kingdoms. His priority is the building up of His Kingdom through the proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ, the demonstration of Christ’s love and presence, and the salvation of people currently lost in their sin.

If we align our priorities to God’s priorities by investing our lives, our energy, and our possessions into God’s Kingdom, we may not wind up rich from a human perspective, but we grow rich in Christ. As we invest ourselves in God’s Kingdom we store up eternal treasure in heaven. Treasures of love, honor, respect, and responsibility. Treasure that isn’t affected by market crashes, runaway inflation, or supply chain disruptions. Treasure that will never fail or become worthless. Treasure that we’ll enjoy in God’s presence forever and ever.

Seek that treasure. Don’t fear for your earthly financial situation. Embrace the promise of God’s Kingdom and invest in heavenly treasure for your heart, emotions, thoughts, and dreams will also become invested in the glorious realities of heaven.

“And he said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.'” – Luke 12:15

This is a good word for us as we navigate life in a hyper-materialistic culture!!! It’s easy in this modern world to get caught up in the ad-driven, media-fueled frenzy to accumulate more and more stuff. We often wind up measuring ourselves and others by temporary things like bank and 401(k) balances, cars, homes, or tech toys. The flip side of the coin is that it’s all-to-easy to sink into despair when we face economic hardships that threaten our ability to get more stuff.

As you navigate economic uncertainty in this summer of 2022, embrace Jesus’ reminder that your life isn’t measured by stuff. Your value isn’t based on your net worth. Jesus loves you because you’re created in God’s image. Your life has significance, meaning, purpose, and dignity in and of itself! If you’ve trusted in Jesus as your Lord, then Jesus also loves you because you’re a precious child of God and His adopted brother or sister. Your life is a beautiful ongoing union with Jesus Christ Himself. Your life is eternal and worth infinitely more than all the stuff in the world combined!

So, be on guard! Be on guard against the consuming hunger for more stuff. It won’t satisfy you for long. Be on guard against defining your identity and sense of worth based what you do or don’t have in this fallen world. Your life is a treasure that will last forever. As such, it’s worth far more than any earthly possession will either wear out, break down, become lost, get stolen, or be left behind when you die.

“Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed,
who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;”
– Psalm 146:5-7

If you have embraced Jesus, then the Lord is your God and you are indeed blessed! The Creator of heaven and earth is your God and your perfect Father in Heaven. He is always, always, always faithful. He can’t be otherwise. He is always present with you, He knows all things, and He works all things together for good.

God will not go back on any of His promises nor will He grow tired or bored of caring for you. His ultimate justice will be perfect, absolute, and eternal and you can rest in that when you encounter injustice. His heart is for the poor and the oppressed. He cares about the most vulnerable and defenseless in society. He came to us when we were still prisoners to sin and death and offered us grace, life, and freedom through faith in Jesus.

If God is your God, what are some ways He has blessed you? Stop and consider those blessings. Think about them and give thanks. Delight in them. Reflect on the ways, both big and small, visible and invisible, in which God has helped you. Know that you are truly blessed and give thanks!