Do You Believe You Have Enough Peace To Give Away?
Good Morning Friends,
One thing I have learned in ministry to the poor is the power of sharing a friendship in Christ. Of course, it does not have to be limited in its scope to a population to experience the practical usefulness of Christ in our midst. We are to rejoice in the power of helping others on the journey wherever and with whomever we are with. We are to joyfully receive the Holy Spirit to overflowing and share. We are to help provide a purpose for others so they too can contribute to a flourishing community of love. But, Do You Believe You Have Enough Peace To Give Away?
Scripture: When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
John 20:19-23 (NRSV)
Message: Today we look at a major theme of the Bible. The theme is that Jesus is God and that absolutely nothing will be accomplished without His powerful presence. This is a key to a great life, but there is more to it than the resurrected Jesus appearing to His disciples just before pointing out the holes in His hands to Thomas. For here, in this dynamic, we discover the happy fellowship of those who follow the way. We feel it in our hearts and it shines in our faces. Here we are empowered to witness to others that forgiveness is indeed attainable…that doubt is natural but can be overcome. For here when we gather together in His name, He is in our midst. Here our purpose becomes clear. We are to give in to the joy of this day…we are to embrace the surprise of Shalom….that when Christ is with us we can be whole. We can be at peace with our past, present and future. Here when Jesus is saying “peace be with you,” He is giving us the Holy hope we so desperately need in our continuing journey with the living Christ. He is marking our lives with a purpose, meaning and direction. I am sure that most of us would prefer to live on the mountaintops of spiritual and emotional highs…times when God is moving in powerful ways…times when we have a confidence, passion and excitement of the Spirit that overcomes our resistance to believe. I love those times of sunny days and crisp air but the rain too must have its time. If we keep moving, we must walk through the valley to get to the next mountaintop. That is when we struggle. That is when we must fight the battles. But we are in the company of others. The disciples struggled as well and it was not just Thomas. They had been given training, authority and experience but doubt crept in extinguishing their faith. Unbelief cannot be victorious over evil. Unbelief cannot please God. So, that is why Jesus the King comes to confront us in our unbelief and in His presence and testing we can become stronger and can rediscover the power of faith. It is only when it is beyond our abilities that we can measure our faith. It is only in the anguish we are brought to our knees in prayer and then raised up with Jesus. It is only when we become aware of our spiritual shortcomings… only when we honestly struggle with powerlessness that faith can grow. Trials, difficulties and defeat can all lead us to discover a faith. Rejoice because Jesus comes to those who are honest about their doubts and helps us face them so we might grow deeper. So, do not stay in the land of doubt. Press on to higher ground and experience God’s power through greater faith. See and believe so that we might together be victorious with Christ, so we might believe enough to give peace away only to discover there is so much more. So, let us prepare for the coming of the Spirit and all its surprises but always a Savior announcing that His Peace will be with us.
Pray that our deepest desire is that Jesus will be in our midst…. the middle of our lives. Pray that Jesus make us peaceful…surpassing everything we can expect. Pray that Jesus make us joyful…rejoicing in the victory on the cross and the victory of the Holy Spirit bringing us into harmony. Pray that Jesus make us useful…witnessing to others the good news in our lives. Pray that Jesus make us powerful…creating in us the very breath of our existence. Pray we never forget the message of peace. Pray we share with one another the healing and wholeness that God has shared with us through Jesus Christ His Son.
Pray we trust in Jesus. Pray we learn to value those things that He values. Pray that our scars make us real, believable and trustworthy. Pray that in the scars of life we discover peace. Pray that in the scars of life we discover a growing faith. Pray that in the scars of life we discover healing. Pray that in the scars of life we discover honor. Pray that in the scars of life we discover love.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 