Blessed Peace

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
 
LET’S consider the hymn “I Need Thee Every Hour”. One line in the song is “Temptation loses its power when you are near.” And another is, “I come to thee”.
   Why is there too little peace in our lives and in the world? Of course it is because of the raging spiritual warfare between God and the Evil One. Satan’s temptation caused the first conflict – the first “War of the Worlds” – when he asked Eve, “Did God really say?” (Genesis 3:2). The devil’s purpose was to divide and conquer, to cause God’s children to hate God and to hate one another. The battle between love and hate – good and evil – rages. We strive for things we should not have, and we even work hard to avoid the things of God we truly need. Complacency reigns in our hearts, replacing a loving passion for the LORD God Almighty.
   Isn’t it true? We are tempted to take a spiritual “nap” when we should get up and eagerly work to learn of God. We are tempted toward too much physical work when we should find a rest in God’s sufficiency. Retaliation tears at our hearts when we should be merciful. “Not me!” is too much our response when the Lord calls us, “Follow me.” Surely it is easy to avoid a friend who really, really needs a soft heart and a helping hand. Life is so complicated when we care for another. Sadly, we are even tempted to tempt others into our own weariness and sin. Somehow we are empowered when others are as sad as we are.
   There is little or no peace for many of us because we forget we “need Thee every hour”. Our goals and desires is to live life in our own form. But in temptation’s power, our lives are formless. Each unholy remedy for the conflicts that encounter us becomes another conflict in our souls.
   God’s continual remedy for the conflict is his constant teaching. Temptation does lose its power when God is near. Jesus taught us this in Satan’s war against him in the desert (Matthew 4, Mark 1, Luke 4). How strong we will be when we use Jesus’ weapon: Matthew 4:4 “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Temptation lost its power when the Living Word used the word to be near to God. And what great power we can know in these words of peace from James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. And remember Luke 16:13 “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”
   You, too, can turn the connect into peace as you go near to God. Pray for the Spirit to open your mind to trust that God really did say what is good. Speak this peace to others.
 
Romans 15:33 The God of peace be with you all. Amen.