A New Puppy

Our children have been asking to get a dog for a while a now, so yesterday we got them a puppy. She is eight weeks old, and a beautiful Aussie/Winnie mix. Since we are a Star Wars family we named her after the iconic Princess Leia. My wife and I talked through all the pros and cons of getting a dog before we made the decision, but there was something I overlooked. I forgot how hard the nights are with a new puppy in the house. It has been a few years since we had to get up with our babies during the night, so we weren’t used to having to get up and take out a whimpering puppy. 

We got her on a Saturday, and that night from about 1:30-4:30 we were up with our new dog. Even when she was asleep I was still worried about her. I felt like a zombie trying to preach the next morning. While I have never considered myself to be a lazy person, I do require a certain amount of sleep in order to function, and that first night I didn’t get it. Some people toss and turn at night, and it isn’t because of a puppy. Some haven’t slept well in years. There may be a medical condition, but it also may be spiritual. The Bible seems to associate restful sleep with being at peace with God. 

In Psalm 4:8 David said he could lie down in peace and sleep because the Lord allowed him to dwell in safety; in the previous psalm he said could lie down and sleep because the Lord sustained him (3:5). Proverbs 3:24 says the person who keeps God’s commandments can lay down and sleep in peace. Even Job’s friend Zophar encouraged Job to repent of his sins (even though Job was innocent) so that he would be able to once again sleep in peace (11:18-19). Isaiah had a similar thought, saying that God gives peace to those who trust Him: “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you (26:3).”

I believe that is why Jesus was asleep in the boat during an unusually violent storm. The disciples—many of whom were professional fishermen—were terrified, but Jesus was sleeping peacefully. It was His way of showing those young men that He was at perfect peace with the Father. We too can be at peace with God. Many can’t sleep because of the guilt they carry over their actions. Many can’t sleep because they know deep down they need to make some changes. Many can’t sleep because they know they aren’t right with their Maker. But those who are living right, who are at peace with God and man, can sleep soundly. I hope Leia allows us to sleep better tonight. Maybe your better sleep will come if you make peace with God. 

Christmas Peace

Waiting is hard, isn’t it? In our fast food society with instant gratification and next day shipping, we are not used to having to wait for anything. The more serious the event, the harder the wait. As a child waiting for Christmas was hard because it seemed like December 25^th would never get here (and as parents we can’t believe how quickly it comes back). But think about how hard it is to wait to see if you got the job you applied for, or to see if the cancer has spread. While we wait it is hard to be still or comfortable because there is something major hanging over us. We need to realize that is how people lived throughout the Old Testament, waiting for God’s Messiah to come. 

From the day that God told Eve her seed would crush the serpent, humans had waited with baited breath for the Promised One. There could be no real peace until He came. That is why in Luke 2 a multitude of the heavenly hosts joined in singing, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and good will toward men.” Peace on earth is available because God finally came in the flesh. 

Like the Psalmist who said, “I waited patiently for the Lord; He inclined to me and heard my cry (40:1)” the world waited in a profound way for the Messiah to come be the Deliverer. The Jews wanted primarily peace from their enemies—whether the Babylonians, Assyrians, Egyptians, or Philistines in the Old Testament, or the Romans in the New Testament. We need to understand that peace is more than just the absence of conflict. Peace is more than just national tranquility. As Americans we have not had a real threat of being defeated since World War II, so we might not fully appreciate their desire for national peace. 

But the bigger idea is about us being at peace with God, with fellow man, and with ourselves. Philippians 4:7 says the “peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” We need this peace of God in our hearts and minds. 

First, we need peace with ourselves. So many people walk around feeling bad about themselves because of their faults or mistakes that they render themselves useless in the kingdom work. We need to appreciate the beauty of forgiveness. Hebrews 10:22 says we can have our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience. God wipes the slate clean when we confess and repent. We need to do our best to live right, but we can walk upright knowing we are clean. 

We also need to be at peace with others. Leviticus 3 describes the peace offering as part of the law. This was also known as fellowship offerings because they were designed to keep peace with God and others through fellowshipping together. This offering was unique in that the family bringing the sacrifice got to take home most of the meat (normally the priest kept most of the meat). The idea is that the family takes the meat home and have a fellowship meal with other people. The New Testament is filled with commands to be unified with fellow believers, and reconciled if the relationships have gone south. Christmas is a great time to heal hurts. 

Finally, we need to be at peace with God. This is mankind’s greatest need. 2 Corinthians 5:18 says God has reconciled us to Himself. He fills the God-shaped void. We have real peace when we are at peace with God because we were created to be in a right relationship Him. Maybe this Christmas season you need to make peace with God or someone else. 

The Balm in Gilead

In Jeremiah 8:22 God’s prophet asked a rhetorical question: “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there?” The question was rhetorical because the answer was obvious. There was plenty of balm in Gilead, and there were plenty of physicians there to apply it.

The balm in Gilead was an ointment used as a perfume, but more often as a cure all. Although this balm does not grow there now, it was once exported all around the world. It began to be used to refer to a metaphorical healing as well. Those who were sick would apply the balm, but those who were in a jam would say they needed the balm in Gilead. If there were no crops and no money, they would say they needed the balm in Gilead. If they were stressed and depressed, they would say they needed the balm in Gilead. No matter what was wrong with the person or the country as a whole, the balm in Gilead could bring the cure.

Jeremiah had just prophesied the coming disaster for the southern kingdom of Judah because they were refusing to live according to God’s law. After giving them a warning about God’s judgment, he asked the question in verse twenty-two. In other words, if the nation would repent of their sins and come back to Christ, they would receive the balm in Gilead because the promised calamity would not come.

Jesus is the Balm in Gilead who, according to the old spiritual, heals the sin-sick soul. Yes, He is the Great Physician, and we call out to Him for physical healing. More importantly, He heals our greatest need, and that is to be brought back into a right relationship with our Creator. Many people look a hundred different directions to find peace, but Jesus offers a peace that passes our understanding. We take the twelve steps, only to find we aren’t any closer to peace. We can change houses or change spouses; we can shop till we drop; we can lose weight or go on a date; we can buy a new car or spend time at the bar, but those things only offer temporary relief at best. They offer a temporary solution to our permanent problem.

Jesus offers a permanent solution to our permanent problem. If we allow Him, He will remove the sin that separates us from God.

The final part of Jeremiah’s question was this: since there is plenty of balm in Gilead, “Why then is there no recovery for the health of the daughter of my people?” The solution is available, but the people are not reaching for it. The doctor has prescribed the remedy, but they are not taking their pills. If you are not at peace with God—if your sin still separates you from Him—then simply take what the doctor has ordered. Jesus is the Balm in Gilead, and He wants to heal your sin-sick soul.   

Pursue Peace

We are getting into deer season here in the Upstate, and I know that has made people happy. I’m not much of a hunter (translation: I have never been hunting), but my huntin’ friends have spent the last several weeks gearing up. Even prior to bow season they have been setting up cameras and checking footage, scouting areas for evidence, doing anything to get a beat on the behavior patterns of their prey.

Peter used a hunting term in his first epistle, telling Christians to, “seek peace and pursue it (1 Peter 3:11).” He was quoting from Psalm 34:14, so the idea was familiar to his audience. The word for pursue was a word understood to be associated with hunters; just as a gamesman pursues his prize, so we are to pursue peace.

It is important, then, that we understand what peace is. It is a synonym of tranquility, a way of living in harmony with other people. We are to actively pursue peace, to hunt harmony. How have you been doing with that?

Two big issues come to my mind. First is the removal of statues and monuments and the renaming of landmarks and streets; the other is professional athletes kneeling down during the national anthem. There are many strong opinions about these issues, and I certainly have my own. We can have conversations about them, but when they turn into arguments and lines get drawn in the sand, we are not pursuing peace. Remember, Jesus said that the peacemakers would be blessed

Pursuing peace doesn’t mean we compromise, it just means we know when to bite our tongue. Proverbs 29:11 says, “A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back.” In the long run, seeking peace is a better prize than winning the argument. So let us actively pursue peace like a skilled hunter tracking a ten-point buck. It isn’t something you can mount above the mantle, but it is something I don’t want to live without.  

Anxiety

The word anxious is often used the wrong way. People will frequently say they are anxious when they are looking forward to something:

“I’m really anxious about getting my income tax return!”

What they really mean is that they are eager (unless, like me, you were worried that you would owe more to the government). Anxious actually means the opposite of eager. Like when people say, “I could care less” instead of, “I couldn’t care less,” they are saying the opposite of what they mean.

To be anxious means to have anxiety; the dictionary defines it this way: “full of mental distress or uneasiness because of fear of danger or misfortune; greatly worried.”

Quite the opposite of eagerness, anxiousness is not something we like. Unfortunately, it is also something many people deal with on a daily basis.

An anxious mind is like a weight that drags us down, causing us exhaustion and robbing us of joy. But our Creator did not intend for us to live life this way. Most things we worry and fear about never come to pass, and even if they do, wait until then to deal with it. Don’t worry yourself sick.

Proverbs 12:25 says, “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” If someone you know is being weighed down by anxiety, search for a good word to make them glad.

A compliment can complement what God has already spoken. Remind them they are loved by God, that He demonstrated His love for them on the cross, and that if they are His followers they have heaven to look forward to. Their sins have been forgiven and there is now no condemnation for them. They are invited into a relationship with the King of the Universe, they are adopted as His child, and the good work that He began in them will be completed. He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother, never leaving or forsaking those who live for Him.

In addition to the theological truths, looks for a kind word to say to someone today. Even the smallest of positive remarks can lift the heaviest burdens. Come along side those with anxious hearts and bear their care; a simple word can ease their load, straighten their back, and give them peace of mind—a peace that passes all understanding and makes hearts glad. 

Peace

The word peace is frequently used in our culture: turn on the news and you hear about peace in the Middle East; tune into pop culture and the peace symbol is displayed on jackets and jeans; talk to a hippie and you will hear him say “peace out.” With all this talk about peace, why don’t we have peace?

Jesus even promised peace. He told His disciples in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

If Jesus promised peace, then why do we still strive for it? What went wrong?

There are three answers to that question. For starters, most people don’t know Jesus, so they don’t know peace. Secondly, there is sin in this cursed world, and sin will always produce violence and victims.

But also we must realize that we do not define peace the same way that Jesus did. We think of peace in terms of a cease-fire, treaty, or some intervention. Try as we might, we cannot make someone peaceful. Try as our government might, we cannot make a people peaceful. Peace is personal. Peace, as Jesus promised, is strength for the difficult times.

Jesus promised that in this world we will continue to have tribulation, but through Him we can have peace. That does not mean that believing in Jesus will magically make all hardships go away, but it does mean that Jesus will walk us through the hardships, even strengthening us along the way.

Earlier in John 14 Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would be our comforter, and later Paul would write that a fruit that the Spirit would produce in the Christian life is peace. Are you going through a difficult time? Then pray to the God of peace, who bestows a “peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7).”