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WEEKLY
Volume 3 Number 31
28 December 2008
The LORD Is Peace
(Message
delivered by Rev Hien Nguyen at the Worship Service, 2:00 pm, Dec 28,
08)
Text:
Judges 6:24
Do you and I truly have peace
in our hearts? Many think that they just live with optimism without any
worries, but life in this world is not as simple as they think. You and
I do not know what may happen to us and to our loved ones tomorrow.
Today you and I may live in peace when we are still healthy and have a
stable job, a nice family, and money in the bank, etc. However, without
Christ, our peace will disappear and worries and insecurities will
occupy our hearts when we lose our jobs, or when we fall sick, when our
family happiness falls into pieces, when we lack money, when we are
misunderstood, criticized, or opposed, when our secrets are exposed, or
when we have to encounter difficulties, trials, threats, dangers,
natural disasters or death, etc. Thank God and praise the LORD that He
is All we need. He is our Peace in all situations. We have learnt that
the LORD is our Righteousness, Jehovah-tsidkenu (Jer 23:6), our
Sanctifier, Jehovah-m’qadishkhem (Exod 31:13; Lev 20:8; 21:8),
our Shepherd, Jehovah-rohi (Ps 23:1), our Provider, Jehovah-jireh
(Gen 22:14), and our Banner or Victory, Jehovah-nissi (Exod
17:15), our mighty Defender, Jehovah-sabaoth (1 Sam 1:3), our
great Healer, Jehovah-rapha (Exod 15:26), our omnipresent and
omniscient LORD, Jehovah-Shammah, or The LORD is there (Ezek
48:35). Today we are learning the name Jehovah-shalom, which
means “The LORD Is/Sends Peace” (Judges 6:24). Then, what does His name
mean to you and me and what are our proper attitudes?
Background of the name
Jehovah-shalom
The Book of Judges tells us
about the failure of sinful and totally depraved human beings, even of
God’s chosen people Israel, in keeping God’s commandments and serving
Him faithfully as well as about God’s judgement when He chastised them
and about God’s great mercy and deliverance when they repented and cried
unto Him for help. Chapter 6 tells us about the wickedness of the
children of Israel when they forsook the LORD and did evil in His sight
and about God’s judgment when He let the Midianites and the Amalekites
and the nations from the east come to oppress the children of Israel so
much that they cried unto the LORD, and He sent a prophet to remind them
of God’s faithful deliverance and their unfaithful worship. Then an
Angel of the LORD (the Lord Jesus Christ in preincarnate appearance)
appeared unto Gideon to encourage him and send him to deliver His people
from the oppression of the enemies. Gideon was so frightened and assumed
that he would die when the Angel cause fire to consume his offering and
Gideon acknowledged that he had seen the Angel of the LORD, but “the
LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die”
(v 23). Then Gideon built an altar unto the LORD and called it
Jehovah-shalom, which means the LORD is peace or sends peace.
The LORD Is Our Peace
How can sinful and rebellious
human beings live in peace with the holy and righteous God? Thank God
for His grace, love and mercy when He sent His only begotten Son into
this world to die for our sins and to bring us back to Himself in
reconciliation. Jesus Christ is “The Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:6),
“the King of peace” (Heb 7:2) and “he is our peace” (Eph
2:14). When Jesus was born, a host of angels praised God, “Glory to
God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke
2:14). Truly, through the blood-shedding death of the Lord Jesus Christ
on the cross, He is able to make us reconciled with God and accepted
before Him so that we may have peace with God, “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” (Isa 53:5), and “Therefore being justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1; cf. Eze
45:15, 17) “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by
him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be
things in earth, or things in heaven” (Col 1:20).
Moreover, Jesus Christ rose
again and is still able to give us His own peace so that we may enjoy
God’s peace in our hearts in all situations, “Peace I leave with you,
my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let
not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27;
cf. 16:33) and still speaks to our troubled hearts “Peace be unto
you” (John 20:19, 21, 26). Thank God and praise the LORD! Dear
friends, the Lord Jesus Christ alone is our Peace with God and Peace of
God. May God help us appreciate Him, love Him, and maintain our living
fellowship with Him as having Him, we have His true peace, and without
Him, we have no true peace at all.
How to Enjoy God’s Peace
Acknowledge God’s Sovereignty:
No matter what may
happen to us, it is always good and wise for us to acknowledge God’s
sovereignty so that we may have peace in our hearts as He is able to
make all things work together for our good, “Are not two sparrows
sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground
without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows”
(Matt 10:29-31), “And we know that all things work together for good
to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his
purpose” (Rom 8:28).
Fear God and Depart from Sins
and Evil: God’s
Word confirms twice that “There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the
wicked” (Isa 48:22; 57:21), so we should not envy those who are
doing wicked things against God and His Word even when it seems that
they are prosperous because they have no true peace in their hearts at
all. We also should fear God and depart from sins and evil as sins
always trouble our souls and separate us from the God of peace. The only
way is to come back to the LORD in repentance right away to restore our
fellowship with Him and enjoy His peace again (1 John 1:9). May God
sanctify us and help us live a holy life to enjoy His peace always,
“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your
whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess 5:23)
Humbly Trust in the LORD, Look
unto Him, and Commit Everything to Him.
David shared his experience,
praying to the LORD, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee”
(Ps 56:3). Truly, trusting in God and His Word is honouring Him and
He will honour us by keeping us in perfect peace, “Thou wilt keep him
in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in
thee” (Isa 26:3). In all situations, let us come to God, pray to
Him, and commit everything to Him, and “Be careful (anxious,
worried) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the
peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts
and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:6-7), “But the meek shall
inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of
peace” (Ps 37:11). How wonderful it is when the peace of God keeps
our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus! The peace that we cannot
fully understand and others will be surprised when they see that we are
still calm and peaceful in such a danger, trial or fatal illness!
Hear God’s Word, Do God’s Will
and Follow His Guidance:
Jonah ran away from God’s will
and he got all the troubles for himself as well as brought troubles to
others (Jonah 1). It is always wise for you and me to hear our
Shepherd’s voice (God’s Word), do His will, and follow after Him alone,
“I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace
unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to
folly” (Ps 85:8), and “Great peace have they which love thy law:
and nothing shall offend them” (Ps 119:165), and “But glory,
honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and
also to the Gentile” (Rom 2:10), and “Those things, which ye have
both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God
of peace shall be with you” (Phil 4:9).
Keep a Close Fellowship with
the LORD: Knowing
that the LORD Himself is our Peace and All we need, we shall keep a
close fellowship with Him in all situations. If the LORD is with us and
for us, we shall have His peace and All we need – His joy, His grace,
His love, His strength, His wisdom, His victory, His righteousness, His
holiness, His guidance, His protection, His salvation, His glory, etc.
Three friends of Daniel still had peace when they were cast into the
midst of the burning fiery furnace for the sake of their faithfulness to
the LORD and His Word. Why? Because the LORD was with them (Dan
3:16-30). Daniel still had peace when he was cast into the den of lions!
Why? Because he maintained a constant fellowship with the LORD in
prayers and “because he believed in his God” (Dan 6:10-23).
Truly, grace and peace come
from God the Father and the LORD Jesus Christ alone (Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:3;
2 Cor 1:2; Gal 1:3; etc.) and true peace is the fruit of the Holy Spirit
(Gal 5:22; cf. Rom 14:17). It is always wise to come to the LORD Himself
in all situations, and let the Holy Spirit and God’s peace control our
hearts and minds, “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be
spiritually minded is life and peace” (Rom 8:6) and “And let the
peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one
body; and be ye thankful” (Col 3:15).
Thank God for His precious
promises of peace, and He alone is able to give you and me His true
peace in all situations, “The LORD will give strength unto his
people; the LORD will bless his people with peace” (Ps 29:11) and
“The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace”
(Num 6:26).
Conclusion
Dear friends, we thank God for
a peaceful year 2008 despite all the difficulties or trials. We really
do not know what may happen to the world and to us next year. God’s Word
warns us, “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden
destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and
they shall not escape” (1 Thess 5:3). We do need the LORD Himself
and His peace. May God help us trust in Him and His sovereignty, depart
from sins and evil, hear His Word and follow after Him and keep a close
fellowship with Him and then we shall experience His peace in all
situations, “Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by
all means. The Lord be with you all” (2 Thess 3:16).
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