Category Archives: Peace

Go to the Light

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Have you ever checked into a motel room and wondered why the only light in the room is one small lamp, or perhaps a couple wall-mounted lamps over the bed? There never seems to be enough light in a motel room. Maybe you feel the same way about your house — never enough light. We want and need plenty of light in our lives, and often turn into a sourpuss after days of not seeing the sun. Our family formerly lived in an area of the U.S. where during the 120 days of November through February, it seemed like 100 of those days were characterized by fog or low clouds. I’m sure the number wasn’t that severe, but there was an awful lot of fog, so it seemed like that much. It was nice to be in a job where I could fly above the clouds and see the light and feel the warmth of the sun.

How about on a spiritual level? Does the economic climate get you discouraged and depressed? Things at work not going well? Where do you look for strength and encouragement? During a time of year where much of the world is focused on Jesus and His birth, it also offers an opportunity to remind ourselves of our true source of Light.

“In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness…The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world” (John 1:4-5 & 9).

“…because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” (Luke 1:78-79).

What’s your picture of Jesus as The Light? Someone has pictured Him as a glorious sunrise, flooding light, truth, and grace wherever He went: into the dank corners of the stable where He was born; into the vast, lonely blackness of the wilderness; and into villages and the dusty, shadowed streets of Jerusalem. However you picture Him, He certainly shines the light of forgiveness into our lives, and brightens our eternal future.

Is there darkness in your life where you just yearn for light? We heard a lesson tonight about fear, and how fear prevents us from fulfilling our purpose on earth — to give glory and honor to the One Who put us here. Let the Light of the World truly shine into the darkness of your life, and let the true Light shine through.

(I got the idea for this post from someone else’s blog, but I forgot to take note of where it came from. If these are your words I quoted in the next-to-last paragraph, please write and let me know; I’d like to give you credit.)

Guilt and Grace

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How often have you heard someone say, “I know God has forgiven me, but I just can’t forgive myself.” I’d like to suggest two things with regard to that statement. First, it’s a natural human feeling to realize the impact of our own sin, and to keep remembering and remembering and remembering, replaying events in our mind and recalling the impact on those we’ve hurt. Second, refusing to forgive ourself is, whether we realize it or not, also a refusal to accept the forgiveness God has already given us.

Let’s consider these points in order.

It’s hard to forgive. Period. But it does seem easier to forgive someone who has done us wrong than it is to forgive ourself when we sin against someone else (and against God). Why is that? Because although we use the term “forgive and forget”, we can’t really do the latter, can we? We may not hold a grudge against someone else, but we can’t forget what she’s done. We may still associate with a guy, but we still remember the time he lied to us. That does seem to be multiplied when it’s our own sin we’re talking about, doesn’t it? The fact is, a human can forgive, but a human can’t forget.

“Forgetting” sin is a divine attribute. When God tells us “I will … remember [your] sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12), he literally means that. We can be assured that God will not hear our request for forgiveness and reply by saying, “Well, OK. I’ll forgive you this time, but remember the last time you deceived that guy? This is the same thing all over again. When will you learn?” We hear the idea that, “When God forgives us, he wipes the slate clean.” I’m telling you that’s not what happens. Have you ever tried to clean a blackboard? It can’t be done. No, what I suggest is that when God forgives, he throws away the slate!

That brings us to the second point.

God has promised to forgive, so refusing to forgive ourselves is simply not accepting the forgiveness God has already given us. Notice I didn’t say “not being able to” — I said “refusing” to forgive. It’s my own opinion that the reason we do this is because we don’t really “feel” forgiven. We know intellectually that God is faithful to His promises, but we just don’t see how He could really forgive us. We try to picture God in human terms, and this always falls way short of the truth. A finite mind can’t fathom an infinite Being. Just because we don’t feel forgiven doesn’t mean we aren’t.

This takes work and it takes practice, but simply take God at His word. He is faithful, even when we’re not. He will forgive, even when it’s hard for us to. We’ll never be perfect at this, but we can get better at it. Don’t give up!

Whose battle is it?

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Scripture says in 2 Chronicles 20:17: “You will not have to fight in this battle.” This is a significant verse because of what it says to those of us fighting a battle. In this verse, God is talking to King Jehoshaphat and the Israelites because they were about to be attacked by three enemies: the Moabites, the Ammonites, and the Meunites. This was a triple threat. No wonder the Israelites were worried about how they could defend themselves in such a battle! But God knew what they were thinking and reassured them by saying, “You will not have to fight in this battle.” Now that’s the kind of battle I like! If you don’t fight, you can’t get hurt. That’s what God wants to us to know. That’s why he told the Israelites: “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged… The LORD will be with you.” In other words, the battle belongs to the Lord. It’s his battle. Let him fight it.

The fact is: if you are God’s child, your problems are his problems. And he’s much better solving your problems than you will ever be. Your job is to trust him. Then you can experience the peace that passes understanding. As someone said, “For peace of mind, we need to resign as general manager of the universe.” The day you resign as General Manager of the Universe, you’re going to find it doesn’t fall apart. You can relax in faith, trusting that God is able to run things without your help.

Has God ever lost a battle? No. He doesn’t lose battles. And because he’s never lost a battle, we should never be afraid.