I Lay Down In Peace

Psalm 4

Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.

O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.

But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto him.

Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.

There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.

Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.

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My favorite times of day are early morning and evening just before I fall asleep. They are quiet times. They are times when I can commune with God without any interruptions. 

The world is full of challenges as we strive to do better. Unfortunately, this striving to do better usually tends to mean we strive for more unnecessary stuff. This striving for stuff can take the joy totally out of living as it can be a constant battle to appear more successful in the eyes of others. Successful for many means having more stuff even if they no longer have time to enjoy the stuff they've accumulated. Successful for most Christians means living in peace in communion with God. We don't need lots of stuff. We need Jesus. We need need his love. We need the peace that only he can give. 

No matter what challenges might trouble our hearts and minds we can live and rest in peace knowing that the Lord is with us and for us. The Lord lifts up the light of his countenance upon us.

May God help each of us to live in perpetual communion with Him that we might all live life in peace with Him and with one another.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Evil For Good; Darkness For Light

 

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isa 5:20 KJV)

Why one might ask would anyone call evil good!

I have seen evil called good in so many seemingly innocuous places and ways that it boggles the mind. Humankind excuses evil for many reasons. Evil becomes acceptable when we ignore it because we have been told to live and let live; do not judge others. Yet, the word of the Lord clearly tells us that we are to discern between what is good and what is not and we are to refrain from what is not good. We are to steer clear of the evil; not engage in it nor condone it with our silence just to be polite; in order to be liked. 

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. (Eph 5:11-12)

Evil is not good no matter what false idol claims it to be. Evil does not become good no matter how many times we are told that it is. Those who call evil for good would have you think that they are enlightened. But, they do not live in the light. They dwell in the darkness. Yet, even in the darkness God sees their evil intents and deeds. They may be able to fool some of the people around them; but, they cannot fool God.

The darkness of evil would threaten to engulf us. But, it cannot. We stand on the word of God and no matter what might happen in the world around us we will continue to live in the light of Christ. 

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Cor 4:6)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Joseph: The Man Who Raised Jesus

But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. (Matt 1:20-21 KJV)

Today we consider and give thanks for Joseph, the man who raised Jesus even though he was not his father.

In todays world it is not uncommon for one or both parents to have higher priorities than to raise their own children. Too many are more concerned about their own happiness than their children's well-being. There are better things to do with their income than to use it to help support their offspring. There are parents who do actually live in the same home with the children; but, make very few attempts to actually raise them. The children are pretty much on their own and sometimes even end up being the caretakers for their parents. 

Children are precious gifts from God. According to the Psalmist:

Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 

As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 

                                                                                          (Psalm 127:3-4)

Joseph had every legal reason to leave Mary and her unborn son. But, he did not. He stayed so that she would not be put to shame. He stayed and gave her Son an earthly father.

God grant that parents all around the world would not neglect their responsibilities but do the best that they can to raise the children in the way that they should go.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Woe To The Oppressor

"Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!" (Zeph 3:1 KJV)

Woe to those who oppress others. Woe to those who neglect and abuse others, whether it is by word or deed that is either done or left undone! Woe to those who continue in their unrighteous ways and know no shame. What is with that, anyway? What good is in it for anyone who persecutes others unjustly?

God dispenses justice. He so wants to dispense mercy and grace to all of His children. He so desires that His children would turn to Him and love Him even as He loves them. But, anger abounds; jealousy lives, and greed survives.

But, the story does not have an unhappy ending for those who love Him. He will save! He does save! He is with the oppressed. He is with the abused and neglected. He is, even now, gathering those who love Him, into the Kingdom that is prepared for us by Jesus Christ, our LORD.

"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." (Matt 5:8)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Run The Race With Patience

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

                                                                                       (Heb 12:1-2 KJV)

What sin besets you today? Are you living with hope? Are you living so that you might be helpful to others and in the long run to yourself? Or, do you look at everything like your world is coming to an end? 

St. Paul advises us to lay aside the weight and the sin that so easily beset us. Lay aside your negativity and put one foot in front of the other so that you might continue to run the race that is set before us all. Not everyone is happy with the restrictions that have been placed upon us due to COVID-19. But, this will pass. It is a time to come together even if we cannot be together. Each of us can be fruitful by living carefully so that we might not harm any others. It will take patience as we are very social beings. It is difficult for many not to socialize frequently. Staying home may be a challenge; but, it is what is needful for the health of our neighbors. It is a little thing to do to help save our loved ones as well as our neighbors whom we may not even know. 

Do not be overcome with this weight. This, too, shall pass. Continue to run this race with patience and hope. Believe that God is with you and for you and working in and through you. 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

The Condition Of Our Hearts

Jeremiah 17 NIV

The priest, Jeremiah, had a lot to say about the condition of the hearts of humankind. The hearts of the people have sin engraved on them. They trust in things of this world. They lust after and trust in wealth. They will do anything to get it, depriving the poor, spending their very life and breath in the pursuit of wealth and happiness.

The sooner we learn that the pursuit of money does not equate with happiness, the better off we will be. In the end we will lose any and all ill-gotten gain.

We all desire some joy and happiness in our lives. But, the truth is that these things do not come from wealth. They do not come from having "stuff." Real joy comes from being in relationship with others, with God. I have always appreciated that Thomas Jefferson changed John Locke's pursuit of life, liberty, and property, in the U.S. Constitution to the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness. Property does not necessarily equate with happiness. Just think about the upkeep that goes with more property.. and, the taxes! Think about what happens when greed pervades society! All kinds of sin accompanies greed. Yet, multitudes have hearts so hardened like stone that greed and envy are engraved deeply into them. And... they are miserable! They desire more, but they do not know what that more is. 

   

Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay

    are those who gain riches by unjust means.

When their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them,

    and in the end they will prove to be fools.

A glorious throne, exalted from the beginning,

    is the place of our sanctuary.

Lord, you are the hope of Israel;

    all who forsake you will be put to shame.

Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust

    because they have forsaken the Lord,

    the spring of living water." (Jer 17:11-13 NIV)

But, there is good news. In Ezekiel 36:25-27, God promises that He will remove our hearts of stone so that sin will no longer be engraved on them. "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws."

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jer 17:7-8)

There is an answer to our loneliness and sorrow; to our lack of joy. The answer is Jesus Christ, our LORD, who loves us so much that He was willing to die for us, is with us. In that knowledge lies true happiness. May God bless us with hearts filled with His love for Him and for one another.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Lead Us Not Into Temptation

The Sixth Petition.

And lead us not into temptation.

What does this mean?--Answer.
God, indeed, tempts no one; but we pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us, so that the devil, the world, and our flesh may not deceive us, nor seduce us into misbelief, despair, and other great shame and vice; and though we be assailed by them, that still we may finally overcome and gain the victory.

http://bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.php

 

Every day we face temptations. To some of these we succumb. To others we do not. Often we fail to even recognize that we are being tempted to do or say or think something that we ought not. The world around us tells us that what is wrong is right and what is right is wrong. It can be very confusing.



It can be especially confusing for young people who grow up with just a little knowledge of God; but, with way more knowledge of the progressive and materialistic world that we live in. They have been taught (by adults and the world around them) to follow in the ways that they think will provide them with happiness in the moment and not to consider too much the long term consequences of their choices. 

 

God's way is not our way. His way is not the way of the world. We have to be careful that what we say and do is not because this is the way of the world; but, that this is the way in which God would have us go. I know how very difficult it is to discern what is right and what is wrong in many circumstances and so we pray that God would guard and keep us from temptation and when we are tempted that He would help us to be able to stand and say no to them.

 

God's Peace - Pr. J