Hope and Peace

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:14

This is the time of year when we see so much commercial interpretation of what Christmas is all about. You see people living together in harmony, thoughtfully sharing gifts with each other, and visiting family and friends. You see cards and ornaments and wrapping paper with words like “hope” and “peace” on them. But do people truly understand why those words are associated with Christmas? They seem to think that the world itself is going to suddenly grasp one another’s hands and start singing in a circle and be happy neighbors and friends with no strife. But that is really not true. As long as we live on this earth, we will always have strife and trouble because Satan rules here. He is the “prince of this world” (John 12:31).

The hope and peace for which each person longs is found in our hearts and minds through Jesus. When that little baby was born in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago, He alone brought hope and peace. Not through His presence here on earth, but through the promise that was fulfilled by His presence. Isaiah 9 says “for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace” (6). The promise is that if we would trust in God and seek Him alone, we would be given that hope and peace. God is in us by the filling of the Holy Spirit, God is for us because He created us out of love never to be harmed, and God is with us through Christ, our Emmanuel. So our hope is found in Jesus through eternal life and our peace is inside by the filling of the Holy Spirit. Of course it would be wonderful if the world could all “just get along” and be peaceful like the beauty queen wishes of the pageants, but as long as the devil remains and we are broken and sinful, that will never happen.

My prayer is that each person who longs to understand the true meaning of Christmas and the peace and hope that accompany it will come to know Jesus Christ, the author of this season. May the hope for the future that He brings to fulfillment, and the peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil 4:7) be found by every single person. The gifts are nice but they will be forgotten or wear out. The seasonal happiness is great, but it will fade with the coming of the new year and the bills that follow. But the joy of the knowledge of Jesus Christ is the greatest gift that we have ever been given, by our Father Himself, and it remains for all eternity.

Thanksgiving

“We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.” 1 Thessalonians 1:2 (NIV)

I have been pondering lately what it means to be thankful. I mean truly thankful. We say short prayers to God thanking Him for our food and homes and clothes and friends, but what does it mean to give thanksgiving to God? Thanksgiving as a holiday was traditionally a time to give thanks to God for the harvest. Of course, Americans have manages to turn it into a commercial holiday as much as possible through food sales and football. I’m sure we’ll be giving gifts on Thanksgiving in the next 50 years or so…but I digress. I think the key we forget about Thanksgiving is not about eating or watching a parade or football but giving thanks to GOD. We use Thanksgiving as a special time to get together with friends and family that we may not see very often, but let’s not forget to be truly thankful for everything that we have through God, our Father. Revelation chapter 7 says “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God forever and ever. Amen!” (12). All good things come from God, and may we not dismiss or trivialize this fact as we begin to prepare turkey and ham and dressing and cranberry sauce this coming week. Not only should we be thankful for all the things we HAVE but we should be forever thankful to God for the privilege of being His children! Paul writes to the Colossians that we are “being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints of the kingdom of light” (1:11-12). May we remember that this life contains fleeting things that will pass away and that they are simply a small step toward the forever kingdom of God. Let’s be thankful for what we have been given here on earth and also for God’s saving grace, without which all things would be useless. I like the way Paul puts it. “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Tim 1:17). Now that is Thanksgiving!

Prayer in the Spirit

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." Colossians 4:2 (NIV)

Of all the things Paul ever asked from the saints, it was mostly prayer. He always stressed prayer in the Spirit for himself and others that they may further the kingdom of God. Do we still pray today for others and the kingdom? I believe our prayers have become more self-centered and conceited, stressing our own desires and those closest to us. There is nothing wrong with asking God's blessing on yourself and your family, but your prayer time should not be consumed with selfish prayers. The Holy Spirit should guide your prayers for yourself and others, helping you to find ways to help others and further the kingdom. God will ordain our circumstances in every situation, but we must pay close attention to the Spirit. What is our reason for being in a certain place at a certain time? Do we listen to the prodding of the Spirit when a friend keeps coming to mind over and over? Oswald Chambers wrote "Your part in intercessory prayer is not to agonize over how to intercede, but to use the everyday circumstances and people God puts around you by His providence to bring them before His throne, and to allow the Spirit in you the opportunity to intercede for them. In this way God is going to touch the whole world with His saints" (My Utmost for His Highest).

May we remember that our prayers and our actions are the most powerful things that we have been given by God. They are our direct connection to Him and His will for our lives and others. Jesus said "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer" (Matthew 21:22). This should not be misconstrued. We know in our hearts and do not actually believe that we will receive things we ask for that are inappropriate and do not conform to scripture and the will of God. So let's pray in the Spirit and listen to the gentle prodding so our lives can have the most impact and glorify our Lord in everything we ask in prayer and do each day.