Sandra's Mite: The "P" in "Peace"

Monday, April 11, 2011

The "P" in "Peace"

What do you think of when you hear the word "peace"? You many think of sitting all alone on the beach at evening watching the sunset with the beautiful hues of God's magnificent masterpiece washing over you. The only sound you hear is the calming slap of the gentle waves on the soft sand and maybe a mornful boat whistle off in the distance. As the cool wind blows your cheeks and your hair you are free to just be alone with your thoughts. The word "peace" may bring you to ponder the turmoil in our world today with war and fighting, causing you to wonder if there will ever be peace on earth. Maybe when you think of peace you envision yourself in yor favourite reading spot reading God's Word and drawing upon the peace only He can give you from the turmoil you feel inside. Whatever this word "peace" may lead you to think of, God has something to tell us about peace, each and every aspect of it. In His Word, He tells us how we can have peace with Him, peace with others, and peace within ourselves.

Here is an acrostic that will help us to remember how to have true peace in our lives:

Personal relationship with God
Every day walk with God
Always depending upon God
Character determined by God
Earth reigned by God

We cannot have any form of peace in our lives until we first have a
Personal relationship with God

Our personal relationship with God begins at salvation. The Bible tells us that when Jesus comes into our life, then, and only then, are we able to have peace. This peace is the most important kind, peace with God. This peace must have been important to God because He was willing to send His only begotten Son, Jesus, to die to give us this peace. This peace must also have been important to Jesus for He willingly suffered and ultimately gave His life so we could have this peace. The Bible says in Isaiah 53:5, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed." The meaning of the word chastise is "to discipline especially by corporal punishment." Jesus Christ was punished for our sins, yours and mine, so that we could have peace with God. You may wonder, do we not automatically have peace with God? After all He created us. No. Sadly, sin has entered the picture and taken away the peace that mankind once had with God. The Bible says in Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." God is a holy God, and we cannot be at peace with Him because we are sinners. Because all mankind has sinned, there is a gap between us and God. Sin has a penalty, a penalty that could be paid only by death. For us, that death would mean eternal separation from God. The Bible says in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death; but he gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Praise God, through His Son Jesus Christ, He has given us the gift of eternal life. As we read in Isaiah 53:5, Jesus paid the price for us. He was the only perfect man to ever walk the face of this earth. To God He was the only acceptable sacrifice. All that yo and I must do is accept this gift God is giving to us. Many people think that they must work to have this peace with God, but we cannot work our way to Heaven or to this peace with God. The Bible says in Titus 3:5a, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us. . . ." God waits to give us this peace with Him, the gift of salvation, absolutely free. Once you have accepted this free gift, you are at peace with God.

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Sandra's Mite

"And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living."
Mark 12:41-44

This is my favourite story in the Bible. This woman did not have much to offer the Lord, but she gave all she had. I cannot claim to be exactly like her because, even though I don't have much to offer, I certainly cannot claim to have given it all. Some day I hope that I will be able to say that I have given all, but until then I will strive to give my life to God moment by moment. This blog is just a small part of my giving. My husband always says that I can be a blessing to others with things God has taught me. I'm only 29 years old and don't know much, but one thing I have learned is to listen to my husband. What exactly this blog will contain, I do not know, only God does. Come back as often as you like and see what God has given me and maybe, just maybe, it will be a blessing to you too!

The Widow's Mite

She woke up to the sunrise, and she hurried to get dressed,
She was going to the temple; she was going to give her best,

Excited as a young girl with a secret to be kept;

She bowed her head and begged Him her humble gift accept.

The crowd was pressing 'round her, all the wealthy and the proud,

As she stopped to give her offering, she could read their thoughts aloud,
She bowed her head in shame then she turned to slip away,
But there stood the Messiah, and His kind eyes seemed to say,

"Lift up your head, my child, it is the heart I seek.
They gave of their abundance, but you gave abundantly,
Lift up your head, my child, for truly in God's sight,
No sacrifice is greater than this your widow's mite."

by Susan Smith and Melissa Baker

Philippians 3:10-14

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.