Devotions

Perfect Peace

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You. Isaiah 26:3 NLT

We live in a culture so completely soaked in information, entertainment and media of all kinds, that the slightest interruption of our internet leads to frustration, anger and even panic. The idea of what the Bible calls perfect peace seems far – very far away. Sensing the loss of peace, you may have already tried a media fast or even shut off your cell phone for a while. But just like fad diets, these attempts usually fail dismally and though they give us a momentary breath of peace they rarely lead to change. Today’s scripture points out that the true lasting peace we long for only comes from God. Ultimately victory in a culture of information and communication frenzy comes only by our connecting on the deepest level with Jesus Christ.

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So how can I do that? Church services, while uplifting seem only like an island of safety a sea of turmoil. One step out of the sanctuary and I find myself pulling out my cell phone to check for messages or missed calls. So here is a word of advice. Start with small steps like enlisting the help of a friend (in my case my wife). Schedule prayer time and Bible study with that someone else on a daily basis so it doesn’t all depend on you. There is nothing shameful about needing others to walk by our side. Right away you will have conflicts as you readjust your use of time, but don’t give up. The perfect peace God has promised is worth it. As Pastor Rick Warren put it, “Keep moving forward. Even the snail reached the ark by persevering!”

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Washing Feet

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So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. John 13:4-5 NLT

One of the most overlooked events leading up to Easter is when Jesus washed His disciples’ feet. A few times in my life I have been blessed to be a part of a foot washing ceremony. It has been an amazing experience, but Jesus was not talking just about a ceremony. Foot washing was simply a practical everyday need in the ancient world. People walked everywhere and the dusty streets got everyone’s feet coated with dirt and grime. Washing someone else’s feet would be like us going over to a friend’s house to do their laundry or take out the garbage.

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For most of us the challenge is not just the job, but the servant’s place we must take to do it. Because we associate who we are with what we do it is easy to think that we will lose value if we begin to act like servants. But Jesus left us more than a command. He left us His example. The question then is “What is the job God has called me to do?” If He washed feet to show His love how can I do otherwise? We can wash feet, take out the garbage or change diapers all because we trust Him. We can do the small things without getting big heads and show the world, foot by foot and generation by generation the depth and the beauty of the love of God for us!

So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. John 13:4-5 NLT

One of the most overlooked events leading up to Easter is when Jesus washed His disciples’ feet. A few times in my life I have been blessed to be a part of a foot washing ceremony. It has been an amazing experience, but Jesus was not talking just about a ceremony. Foot washing was simply a practical everyday need in the ancient world. People walked everywhere and the dusty streets got everyone’s feet coated with dirt and grime. Washing someone else’s feet would be like us going over to a friend’s house to do their laundry or take out the garbage.

For most of us the challenge is not just the job, but the servant’s place we must take to do it. Because we associate who we are with what we do it is easy to think that we will lose value if we begin to act like servants. But Jesus left us more than a command. He left us His example. The question then is “What is the job God has called me to do?” If He washed feet to show His love how can I do otherwise? We can wash feet, take out the garbage or change diapers all because we trust Him. We can do the small things without getting big heads and show the world, foot by foot and generation by generation the depth and the beauty of the love of God for us!

Daily reading from Easter Reflections

Available in e-book of softcover

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A Reception at the Palace

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And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 2:11 ESV

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The wise men had crossed deserts, rivers and mountains. They had gotten lost, faced a treacherous king and learned from an ancient prophecy of where to find Jesus. You might think they would have been dismayed at their reception in Bethlehem. They had come for a king maybe thinking there awaited a royal welcome, a place to rest and sumptuous surroundings. Instead they came to a small house in a simple village where a carpenter and his young wife opened the door in astonishment at their arrival.

But the wise men were not disappointed or discouraged because they had come with one goal in mind. They had come to worship! As we approach Christmas we need to be careful to keep the attitude of those men. We mustn’t imagine that a proper Christmas celebration has anything to do with a beautifully decorated home, fine food on the table, or all the correct holiday preparations. All journeying to Bethlehem asks of us is to have open and humble hearts ready for any doorway which God brings us to. Christmas is not about our reception at the palace, but about the worship and gifts we bring for Jesus!