Today is October 20

May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s reading is from the book of Isaiah, chapter 2.

2 In the last days
the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established
as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
and all nations will stream to it.
3 Many peoples will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4 He will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.

As we open our hearts to the word, take a minute to think about what you just listened to. Imagine this world ruled by absolute righteousness. Imagine a world where people from every country seek the love and mercy of Jesus Christ. People will flock to see, and learn, and know Him, and all will live in accordance with the scripture, trying their hardest to walk the same path Jesus walks. Conflict will still exist, but will be resolved according to the laws of Zion, not the whims of humans. With a peaceful, uniform way to deal with conflict, there will be no more war, or need to defend ourselves from outsiders, because if someone is wronged, there will be true justice.

As you listen again, think about the equality and compassion that will exist between every man woman, and child.

There are things that can be used for both good and evil. Words can be used as both weapons and tools. So can knowledge or information. As you move through your day, look for times when you can choose to use something as a sword or as a ploughshare, and make a conscious effort to make the Christlike choice, even if you don’t want to.

Music Credit:
"They Are Yours" - Vineyard Worship (YouTube)