Daily devotion

Jesus is Our Peace

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27 KJV

After we received the news that my wife’s sister was given only weeks to live, I spent the night tossing and turning. It was not that I was not a Christian or that I did not know God’s promises of peace but transferring that peace from my head to my heart was something I just did not know how to do in that moment. And then Jesus came. No, I did not hear a voice or see any shining light; but suddenly I just knew that my shepherd was walking alongside me. Suddenly the rod and staff of His word comforted my heart.

“My peace I give you.” Imagine the peace which Jesus had when He slept in the storm, or when He meekly accepted arrest in the garden of Gethsemane. That is the same peace that He is now giving to you and I. We are not just getting a cheap imitation or a lower cost version. Jesus is giving us the real thing. He has promised us the exact same peace that He had with the Father. Notice also, that Jesus told us that He wasn’t giving this peace to us in the way the world gives. He won’t offer us something temporary, or ask for us to give it back. His gift is eternal and unconditional just like our salvation!

Maybe your battle is different than ours, but wherever you are He will come. He knows everything we are facing and He tells us, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” And then His peace becomes ours!

Have You Been With Jesus?

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13 KJV

After the resurrection of Jesus, His disciples went everywhere preaching the Gospel with boldness. These were not well known or politically connected men and women. None of them was wealthy or even had a formal education. What stood out to others was the fact that they had been with Jesus. If we were arrested and brought before a courtroom, what would people notice about our Christian lives? Might they be impressed with our nicely remodeled homes or the car we drive? Would folks be amazed by our educational credentials or the well-connected people we were friends with – or would they first take notice that we had been with Jesus?

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In the book of Revelation, Jesus tells one of the churches that He was knocking on the door of their hearts. That’s right, Jesus was knocking on the church door, because as they lived their daily lives, they had left Him locked outside. Maybe this morning – with Easter right around the corner – we might pause and ask ourselves, What difference has Jesus Christ made a difference in our lives today? If we’re not sure then the good news is that He is still willing to change that. All we have to do is go to the door and invite Him back in. He has a peace to share that nothing in this world can touch and a joy that no one will take away. Stress and fear will not be able to stand in the presence of the one who loved us enough to give His life on the cross so that we could forever be with Him! Have you been with Jesus today?

The Captain’s Voice

/ pastorpete51 / 4 Comments

L ord, if it’s really you,” said Peter, “tell me to come to you on the water.” – “Come on, then,” replied Jesus. Peter stepped down from the boat and did walk on the water, making for Jesus. But when he saw the fury of the wind he panicked and began to sink, calling out, “Lord save me!” Matthew 14:28-30 Phillips

One of the strongest memories I have of my Navy Captain grandfather is his voice. That low rumble that usually encouraged or joked with his grandchildren, could in an instant change. It didn’t get louder it just lowered even further and became the voice of command in our house. “Now hear this.” he would say with a power and ring of authority that snapped all of us to attention. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that when Jesus called Peter to come out to him on the water, His call was spoken with such power that even over the wind and waves Peter could clearly heard him,and it gave him the courage to obey.

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Right now my wife and I are being called out on the waters with the life of my sister-in-law drawing to a close. We are heading out to California to say our good-byes to a sweet precious lady who is also my wife’s best friend. Walking daily in such a life is more than challenging, it is overwhelming. Like Peter, we are overwhelmed by wind and waves and aren’t so sure we are ready to walk on water in the weeks ahead. But Jesus is calling us with a voice that fearlessly echoes out over our dark waters and carries with it both His peace and a command to venture out. Hearing His voice means that He is out there waiting for us. Our assurance is that our way is not just about difficulty, it is about the miracle of the presence of God’s Son. With His call comes His promise, to reach down and pull us out of the waters so we can walk with Him.

And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”   Matthew 14:31 NKJV