Speaker: Ben Sigman
Theme: It Would Take a Miracle . . . To Experience Real Peace
Weekend Music links on iTunes: All to You - Lincoln Brewster, Angels We Have Heard on High, None But Jesus - Hillsong, O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Read: John 14:27; Phil. 4:4-9; Gal. 5:22&23
Think: It’s the Christmas season and I, like most of you, am busy doing all the things that go along with that. Saturday, my husband and I did some shopping and put up our decorations, we’ve got family coming in to visit this week, we have scheduled in some parties a play and a musical performance to attend; lots of fun, but also a very busy time of year. Then, on the news, they started announcing the arrival of the “Pineapple Express” weather system that would bring deluges of rain to the Pacific Northwest. Our basement is prone to flooding so we began to pull up area rugs and put furniture up on blocks. We awoke Sunday morning to the sound of our water alarm’s piercing wail. Oh no! Here we go! We spent hours before church with the wet-vac and towels trying to keep ahead of the rivulets of water snaking across the floors. I must confess the song phrase “I’ve got peace like a river” was not flowing through my mind at the time. But as we worked together, we really did begin to sense the peace that God promises to give us even in the midst of our troubles.
As pastor said, God never promised that we would not have trouble but in fact He tells us to expect it in this imperfect world. In John 16, Jesus speaks plainly to his followers about some of the troubles they can expect. But the wonderful thing about God is He never leaves us where He finds us, alone in our troubles. He says to them and to us “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” While my trouble was relatively mild this time, there have been other times when it was not at all mild and His peace was just as real and just as comforting. Jesus’ offer to us is His peace in the swirl of trouble that surrounds us.
Do: Accept the offer of His peace in the midst of whatever trouble may be surrounding you at this time. His peace is not as the world gives. The peace the world offers is based on circumstance; if life is good, I feel peaceful. The peace He offers is based on who he is; God, in control of the situation and so we need not fear.
Pray: Jesus, thank you for the peace that you offer to me in the middle of this situation. I accept it and put my trust in you now. I know that you can and will use even my pain for your glory and for my ultimate good or for the good of others. Amen
The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.
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