9 The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
10 “I the Lord search the heart
and test the mind,[a]
to give every man according to his ways,
according to the fruit of his deeds.”
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him,[a] and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son,[b] with whom I am well pleased.”
13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings;
I will perform my vows to you,
14 that which my lips uttered
and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,
with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;
I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool;
in the gate he does not open his mouth.
6 “With what shall I come before the Lord,
and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with[a] thousands of rams,
with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
8 He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,[b]
and to walk humbly with your God?
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
8 Bless our God, O peoples;
let the sound of his praise be heard,
9 who has kept our soul among the living
and has not let our feet slip.
10 For you, O God, have tested us;
you have tried us as silver is tried.
11 You brought us into the net;
you laid a crushing burden on our backs;
12 you let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.
When you consider what people faced and are still facing in the form of a pandemic, politics and financial issues, it is very easy for soft-spoken and non-violent individuals to become frustrated with everything. It is at that point in time when we all must stop and realize that we are truly sons and daughters of God Almighty. We must put aside our differences and rise above all of the harmful and caustic language and posturing. Our words should be filled with the spirit of love for one another and the desire to listen to each other. We should desire unity and love and learn from our past in order to forge a brighter future for all. Our goal should be very simple. We are a nation of law and people who help their neighbors.
I am not saying we are perfect. Our nation has had its darker moments, but there are also bright spots that make you feel proud. During national disasters, we come together to feed, clothe and give shelter to those in need or who have lost everything. We mourn with those who have lost friends and loved ones and hold them close. We celebrate those great moments together and we feel that we can do anything especially when we work together for a common good and goal.
A nation is not a group of individuals; it is a family. A family that works together and takes care of one another during peace or war or during times of feast or famine. It doesn’t matter what your race, ethnicity or anything else is. We are a family. When we see someone hurt, we reach out to lend aid to that person. We feed those who are hungry and give them drink. If they are naked, we provide them with clothing. We pray for those in need of comfort and let them know that they are not alone. We are a family. As the old adage reminds us, “a family that prays together stays together.”
Our lives are full of wonder and beauty. As I write this message, I see a beautiful grey winter day. It is cold and crisp. In the words of Charles Dickens, it is the “piping for the blood to dance to.” Even on the greyest and darkest days, we can still see beauty in the world. But, the one thing I see is peace. I see people helping one another in stores to reach boxes or cans that are too high. People greeting each other with a “good morning” and parting with a “have a great day”. This is a world of people who live in peace and harmony and work out their differences peaceably.
Jesus said, as recorded in chapter five of the Gospel of Matthew, “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.”
As children of God, we must always exemplify a Christ-like attitude and behavior to all. He provided for us those model traits that each Christian should demonstrate daily. Yes, we must do this daily. We cannot just simply pick a day when we will be Christ-like or choose a day that is our cheat day. In fact, one of the names of God is Jehovah Shalom, which means, “The Lord is Peace”. It is used 170 times throughout the Bible.
Although some biblical scholars believe that “Jehovah Shalom” is more of a title than a name of God, I prefer to see it as a beautiful name. It gives us insight into God and helps us realize that God is truly the giver of peace.
David writes in Psalm twenty-nine, “The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace.”
During this time, we must use that strength that God has given us to get past our differences and work together to rebuild our nation. We must accept God’s blessing of peace and share it with everyone daily. We cannot just simply accept it and keep it to ourselves. That peace is special, because it comes from the Lord our God. It is too precious of a blessing to be squandered or not shared. Peace is delicate and fragile and must be kept with the utmost vigilance.
In chapter fourteen of the Gospel of John, Jesus tells his disciples, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
When we are troubled and afraid, we act violently and without understanding. Under normal circumstances, those violent tendencies are locked up, but they are still there. As Christians, we know that violence is not the way to resolve issues. The world really doesn’t understand or give peace the same way as God can. That blessing of true peace can only come from God and it is His alone to give.
We, as a nation and as a people including all those around the world, need to reflect on the events that we have witnessed. Rhetoric and vitriol need to be put aside and peace should reign superior in our lives. Calling for unity in one breath and then using hateful words to refer to people is not the way to peace. It only stokes the fires of hatred and mistrust in all.
In his second inaugural address, President Lincoln said these words to a nation that was torn apart by a Civil War, “With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan -- to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.”
Mr. Lincoln spoke from his heart, a heart that, like the nation, was torn. His desire was to “bind up the nation’s wounds” and get on with the business of rebuilding it for all. Unfortunately, he never saw that desire become reality. Hatred and violence took center stage and changed the course of this nation. Although Mr. Lincoln didn’t live to see this nation undertake that awesome responsibility, let us take up that banner and bind up the wounds and forge a just and lasting peace not only for ourselves but also for all generations to come.
We have received the blessing of peace from Father God. We are at a crossroads in our history as a nation. Do we choose the road that leads to more violence, vitriol and bloodshed or do we choose the path of peace, love and unity? If we choose the former, then we are doomed to see our nation torn apart even further. If, however, we choose the latter, we can bind up the wounds, build stronger ties to one another, love one another and, most importantly, live in peace as God truly meant for us to do. When we take that first step on the path of peace, we can truly say that we are the sons and daughters of God and stand firm in His grace.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
5 A wise man is full of strength,
and a man of knowledge enhances his might,
6 for by wise guidance you can wage your war,
and in abundance of counselors there is victory.
12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.
12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers,[a] by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.[b] 2 Do not be conformed to this world,[c] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.[d]
5 Come and see what God has done:
he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.
6 He turned the sea into dry land;
they passed through the river on foot.
There did we rejoice in him,
7 who rules by his might forever,
whose eyes keep watch on the nations—
let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
3 By wisdom a house is built,
and by understanding it is established;
4 by knowledge the rooms are filled
with all precious and pleasant riches.
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life[a]—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. 10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.
666 Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
2 sing the glory of his name;
give to him glorious praise!
3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.
4 All the earth worships you
and sings praises to you;
they sing praises to your name.” Selah
224 Be not envious of evil men,
nor desire to be with them,
2 for their hearts devise violence,
and their lips talk of trouble.
