In a world full of manmade gods and goddesses, the Creator God stands alone. He is a King of the first order, and everything was made by Him. His majesty and power are awesome.

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Usually when people are in the presence of royalty, they get nervous. Kings and queens make us uneasy, and we obsess about how we approach them.

Not so with our great God. Yes, He is all-powerful, and the Bible does describe Him sometimes as fiery, but He also loves us with true love and compassion. It is a privilege to worship Him, and acknowledge Him for who He truly is.

Not all people and nations recognize God, of course. But the day is coming when they will. In that day, He will remember His people.

All hail our King!

Let’s pray. Lord, you alone are worthy of praise, and we do praise your Holy Name. Amen.

 

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Have you seen the movie “Napoleon Dynamite”? The character of Kip is one of the offbeat people in an Idaho town. But he is also one of the neediest in terms of peace in his life. Kip sort of defines our theme of peace this week.

At one point, he changes his persona and his signature line is, “Peace out!” It’s hilarious, but also poignant because the peace he found came about because someone chose to be kind to him.

Luke 2:14 says, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!”

Often, we’re not kind enough to people, especially those who are easy to miss or dismiss. The so-called “outcasts.” But aren’t we all outcasts? We are -- until the kindness of Jesus brings us peace that can’t be explained in merely human terms. He comes to us, then we become ambassadors for Him.

Peace in, peace out.

Let’s pray. Lord, all of us are outcasts, but you love us and offer your true peace if we ask. Give us the courage to ask. Amen.

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Do you especially need the gift of peace right now? Is your life so busy, you can’t find time to take a breath? There is Good News for you: Jesus already knows.

Luke 2:14 says, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!”

When Jesus ascended to heaven, he told the apostles, “My peace I leave with you.” Because He lives, we know for sure that this peace is available to us anytime, anywhere. Even in the busy part of your life, when you think you’re going crazy, you can call on Him and He will answer.

This is our theme this week: that peace is attainable. It comes from God, first and last. You might need to get away for even five minutes and close your eyes to call on Jesus. Let Him know you are beaten down and tired. Remember the verse we just read: peace is not just something for the glorious future Jesus is preparing for us. It is for the here and now.

Claim that for your busy life today!

Let’s pray. Lord, when chaos seems to rule over us, you tell us different. Thank you that we can simply ask and you will settle peace over us. Amen.

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Have you ever thought of yourself as a catalyst for peace? It’s something to think about as we continue our discussion this week about peace.

Donna and Betty were sisters, but in mid-life they were both tired of the fighting and mistrust and hurt. Each had their grievances. Both were stubborn.

Luke 2:14 says, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!”

At one particular time of the year, Betty heard this verse spoken in a service. And here’s an ironic thing: of the two sisters, most people would agree she was definitely the most stubborn!

But that day she did an amazing thing. She went home and called Donna. Betty made a choice to forgive and forget, and did so through a lot of tears. Donna was shocked but grateful. And she owned up to her own mistakes.

God can bring about good will between anyone, including sisters who really love each other.

Do you need to be a catalyst for peace this week?

Let’s pray. Lord, your mercies are ever new. Your love heals old wounds, and we need that, Lord. Amen.

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Being positive really is a mindset. As we talk about “pockets of peace” around the world this week, we will notice some amazing examples.

Luke 2:14 says, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!”

God pulls wins out of the most difficult challenges, and one of the toughest was the ongoing conflict between Egypt and Israel. Both nations are mentioned for blessing in Scripture, but until 1981, the modern era was almost as bad as the ancient era. Two full-blown wars in the previous few years staggered both countries.

Then President Carter brought Egypt’s Anwar Sadat together with Israel’s Menachem Begin at Camp David. They settled decades of conflict and today, 40 years on, there is still a peace agreement in place. Tensions come and go, but a manageable peace endures. Today, these ancient enemies cooperate in ways unthinkable a couple of generations ago.

God is good all the time!

Let’s pray. Lord, you hold history in your hands, and we know you desire peace among the nations. Thank you for your grace. Amen.

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It’s all in how you see it.

The world we live in has plenty of problems, and they are huge. Don’t need to list them here, but it’s fair to say we even suffer from some existential threats.

And yet, God’s Word tells us that this present life can have, and does have, peace. That’s our connection this week.

Luke 2:14 says, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!”

Remember the story of Jim Elliot and his band of missionaries? They were killed in a jungle by the very people they were trying to reach with the Gospel. The God part of that story is that later, the dead men’s wives went back and reached that tribe for Christ! Peace settled on the creek-bed that had seen death, and there was good will among men that had once been at war with each other.

Peace is possible. It is possible in geo-politics, and in communities, and right there in your own heart.

Let’s pray. Lord, no situation is too bad for you to redeem. Redeem us, Lord, so that we can redeem the time and reach others for you. Amen.

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It’s kind of fun in those moments when the kids are in bed and the dishes are done, to think about the Big Questions. You know the list.

Why am I here?

What is the meaning of life?

A question that people from ancient times to now have asked is, why in the world, literally, did God create people? We are a handful, as past generations used to say. We mess up. Sometimes we’re on our way to being smart then find ourselves flying down the Stupid Highway.

God must get tired of us, right?

1 Peter 2:9 says, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

In those terrible moments when you feel dirty and worthless, remember this verse. God says you are special to Him! You!

Begin praising Him for this incredible gift, and begin to understand that He made you to fellowship with Him, forever.

Pretty awesome. And pretty loving.

Let’s pray.

Lord, all through your Word, You speak of us as the object of your love. Your incredible gesture of sending Jesus for us is proof of that. Thank you. Amen.

Have you ever been in such a dark place that you wondered if God cares about you, or even exists? Maybe it’s all some cosmic joke, right?

We’ve all been there. Humans doubt. We doubt ourselves, we doubt product labels, we doubt our kids. We question everything.

But that worst one is trying to figure out where God is in the middle of great difficulties. Sometimes the world is just flat-out mean and it seems like it’s an entity that’s trying to break you in half.

That is the very moment God’s ancient and eternal words come to us.

Isaiah 41:10 says, "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Honestly, it doesn’t get better than that! Jesus lives so that you will live forever. And in the interim, He will walk with you and carry you when necessary. He never fails and what’s more, His willingness to never leave us has been proven over and over again, in a billion different way.

If you need Him right now, don’t doubt Him. Call out to Him. Your circumstances might seem impossible and impossibly unique. Don’t believe it.

Believe Him instead.

Let’s pray.

Lord, you promised you would never leave us. We know that’s true, but help us with our faith in our weak moments. Amen.

As humans, we compartmentalize, don’t we? By that we mean, it is in our nature to rank priorities, then even lose sight of some of them. This can often lead us to confusion about which direction we’re supposed to go.

This confusion even can extend to faith itself. We wonder, When am I supposed to pray, and when am I supposed to act on faith?

Psalm 34:1 says, "I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth."

When we get the Word deep in our hearts, we always have a ready answer for our personal questions. This sweet psalm tells us that we are to always remember the great gifts Father God bestows on us. His greatness is ever before us and in this way, we can worship Him all the time, no matter what we are doing.

Learn to bless the Lord and praise Him as you do your job, as you fellowship with others, even as you engage with people who don’t believe as you do. They need to see the love of Christ shining through you.

Let’s pray.

Lord, we bless you and praise you with our words. Thank you, Father, for never ever forgetting us. Amen.

Scores of people today, even many in our churches, walk around aimless. They work their jobs and take care of their families, but struggle to understand what it is that God wants them to do.

He’s told us in His word!

As with every other situation, His Word speaks directly to our circumstances.

Micah 6:8 says, "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

The Lord requires of us that we have the mind of Christ. That we aim for showing justice and mercy to those we encounter. And notice: we are to love doing these things, not just going through the motions! Finally, we are to remember to be humble. There’s only One Who is perfect and that is the Father. In our present state, we are to emulate the qualities that caused His Son Jesus to turn the world upside down for good.

If you ever wonder what your purpose is, start with these awesome words from the prophet Micah!

Let’s pray.

Lord, help us to keep in front of us at all times the simplicity that is in Christ. He shows us the way. Amen.