Dear God, Is Peace Possible?
In my quiet and peaceful prayer spot yesterday morning, I prayed for peace in our country. My heart ached as I thought how divided our country is — seemingly louder and noisier than ever before. I saw these words by New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman “Civil War in America may be coming if we cannot find a way out of the tribalistic political and cultural fracturing that threatens our future.” I remembered studying American History with my young grandson a couple of months ago. The studies were about the deadly Civil War — the most turbulent, violent years between the North and the South. I thought “Dear God, is peace possible?”
Oh, but very quickly, to straighten me out like He often does, my loving Father/Dad/Papa sent me these words: “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.’ 2 Chronicles 7:14. Notice He said, “If MY people…..” Scrolling through my FB timeline yesterday morning, I saw that one of my Canadian friends’ “shared” a video of a huge prayer meeting that was going on in Washington D.C. on Thursday. God’s people were humbling themselves and praying.
Judge Kavanaugh will be confirmed to the Supreme Court if a favorable final vote count comes in today. Whatever way it goes, God’s Word gives no room for gloating or pouring “vinegar in a wound” to those who opposed this confirmation. In fact, King Solomon put it this way in Proverbs 25:20-22 “Don’t be like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or pours vinegar on a wound, or who sings songs to a heavy heart. If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.”
God’s Word calls us to defend our faith “with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15). We are to “honor everyone” (1 Peter 2:17), whether they honor us or not. We are to “show no partiality” (James 2:1) as we show the world “brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind” (1 Peter 3:8).
In so doing, we continue the earthly ministry of Jesus. He prayed that we would live in such a way that the world would believe in Him because of us (John 17:21). Then He returned to heaven so his Spirit could bear witness to Him through Christians all over the world (John 15:26-27).
Our work of loving, giving, serving and living as Christ did should be stronger than ever before. Charles Spurgeon said: “You have read lives of Christ, beautifully and eloquently written, but the best life of Christ is His living biography, written out in the words and actions of his people.”