Made in His Image

Philippians 4:7

And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Peace treaties, peace accords, peace initiatives, world peace; all these terms are heard frequently and speak of efforts by world leaders to find ways to avoid conflict, but one only needs to listen to the news for a few minutes a day to see that the world is in constant turmoil and that peace among nations is elusive. 

Jesus tells his disciples in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give  you, I do not give to you as the world gives.” The peace that Jesus gives is a spiritual assurance of God’s love and is administered by the Comforter, the Holy Spirit.  

Again, Jesus tells us in John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

These declarations by Jesus speak of an inner peace to those who know him. Jesus also said John 15:11, “These things have I spoken unto you that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”  In John 10:10 Jesus tells us that “I am come that you may have life and have it more abundantly.” Faith in God’s promises is a critical element peace. Even in grief we can have a peace, knowing that God “has overcome the world” and whatever the source of the grief, we can trust the holy spirit to restore us to that abundant life that Jesus wants us to have.

There was a time in my life when I lived alone and I didn’t feel the joy, peace or happiness of which Jesus spoke. I questioned my faith. I was grieving loss. This went on for some time. Then one clear, and quiet Sunday morning as I made coffee, I happened to look outside to where a pear tree stood. The pears were ripe and were being consumed by a odd variety of birds and animals. Ducks, pheasants, quail, squirrels, all were sharing the bounty. After a short time watching, I begin to experience a great peace. A peace unexpected but welcomed. I realized that God chose this experience to assure me of His care and His healing power.

Prayer:

Thank you God for loving us and knowing our needs And thank you for the peace that you give to your own. Thank you for the still small voice that speaks through beauty and situations that assure us of your presence. Amen.

This devotion was written by Stephen Hankal and read by Jim Stovall.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.