Do you need real peace?
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. John 14:27
God of Peace,
When my kids were young,
with four children in six years,
sometimes all I wanted was a little peace and quiet.
There’s nothing wrong with a little peace and quiet,
but may we never forget that your peace
is something far richer, far more wonderful.
Your peace, in Hebrew, is shalom,
a state of “universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight.”*
This shalom gives rise to wonder, awe, and joy,
at the God who establishes it.
After Adam and Eve sinned,
the world, and all who lived in it,
fell into a state of disorder,
a state of chaos,
in which disease and division and dissension ruled the day.
But you, the God of peace,
sent Jesus, our Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6),
to give us peace with you (Romans 5:1).
Because Jesus died for our sins,
we who trust in him for salvation,
are reconciled with you (Romans 5:10).
Now, united to Christ,
we live in his legacy of peace,
of wholeness, flourishing, and delight.
And even as we are still troubled at times by this fallen world,
we look forward to the day
when Christ our peace will return
to fully restore all peace.
In that day, we will live forever in harmony
with you and with others.
Thank you for being our peace
today and every day until that day.
In Jesus’ peace-bringing name. Amen.
Read John 14:25-27; Romans 16:20; Isaiah 26:3; Romans 5:1-11.
*See Cornelius Plantinga’s book Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin for this quote on shalom and more about shalom.
