Daily Devotional For Tuesday, September 3, 2024
Good morning Southside. It is Terrific Tuesday and the week is off and it is going to be shorter for most of you since Monday was Labor Day. Many of you probably had that day off and I hope you took full advantage of it to rest, relax, and rejuvenate in the Lord. I hope you took some of Monday to work on growing your relationship to Jesus Christ. Our family went to see the new Kendrick Brothers’ movie, The Forge. WOW! What a fantastic movie. It is about the need for godly fathers, their roles, what happens to sons in the absence or noninvolvement of a godly father and the difference another man can make as a mentor to sons with absent fathers. You will also see the importance of the power of intentional and consistent prayer! Probably no other movie has shown the difference that discipleship can make if godly men rise up and do it.
We are looking at the most famous and best sermon ever – Jesus’ Sermon On The Mount in Matthew 5, 6, & 7. We are currently digesting The Beatitudes found in Matthew 5:3-12, and specifically verse 9, where Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (NASB). I’ll have to say that the most successful godly peacemakers I have ever observed and experienced were those who were humble, modest and were unnoticed. They never attempt to be the center of attention nor seek accolades or praises from others. Why? A genuine peacemaker knows that his/her role is to be unobtrusive and prefers to go unnoticed so that God gets the glory.
Genuine peacemakers are often misunderstood because they are so concerned about righteousness and truth, they can be seen as troublemakers and disturbers of the peace because they are willing to confront and bring people together who do not want to be reconciled. But even with this reality, God knows their heart and their intent and He honors them. A genuine peacemaker must have godliness, holiness and righteousness in their own lives and seeks that in others as well.
Jesus said that peacemakers will be called “the sons of God.” If you have godly parents or grandparents, thank God and them today. If they have died, thank God for their influence on your life not to just attend church, but their insistence to be able to attest to the character of Christ in your life. The Greek New Testament for “sons” is [υἵος; huios]. In the Greek language, this word expresses the honor and dignity of the relationship a child (son) has with his parents. What should be true with our earthly godly parents, is true with our heavenly Father. Being called “sons of God” refers to the eternal relationship we have with God as peacemakers.
So, this means any person who claims to be a Christian and is not a peacemaker is either not a Christian or a very disobedient one. The people who are continually being disruptive, causing conflicts, are divisive and argumentative have every reason to doubt their salvation. God’s sons, and His daughters, are peacemakers. Only God determines who His children are. He has determined that they are the humble, the penitent ones who are repentant over their sin. They are gentle, they are seekers of righteousness, they are merciful, they are pure in their heart, and they are peacemakers. This is why only God can call such people “sons of God” because He has declared them so.
I do not want you to misunderstand me here. Being God’s peacemaker does not guarantee and mean that peacemakers will always have peace in this world. But it does mean that God’s peacemakers intentionally seek peace and have it internally as a fruit of the Spirit. There is something godlike in bringing peace to people and people to peace. God’s peacemakers know that this role is expected by God from everyone who claims to be a Christian. I want to quote New Testament scholar LeRoy Lawson here:
“This is the Beatitude we love to misunderstand. We tolerate many intolerable situations because, we say, we just want peace. But Jesus does not say, “Blessed are those who desire peace,” but, “Blessed are those who make peace.” Many a home has been led to war by passive parents who “just want some peace and quiet in this house.”
The word Jesus uses (eirene in Greek, shalom in Hebrew) means far more than absence of war or trouble. As the Jewish greeting “Shalom” implies, it connotes everything that makes for a person’s highest good. Peace is a relationship word, signaling that everything is good between you and God and between you and those whom you greet and with whom you live—family, friends, countrymen, your fellow man. Blessed are you if you contribute to peaceful relations.”
A few years ago, a lavish new resort opened in the Caribbean. The owner, an incurable perfectionist, fussed over every detail. One of his problems was with sliding doors he had installed in the hotel. People kept running into the clear glass. His solution was to order the word PEACE etched on the glass. But to solve one problem was to pose another: should PEACE be read from the outside or the inside?
He raised a good question. The Bible reads it from both directions. First from the outside. The Prince of Peace had to be sent into this hostile, warring world from the outside. Since then, Christ—who has become our peace (Ephesians 2:14)—dwells inside His disciples, who are one in Him. Their internal peace makes for interpersonal peace that can lead to world-wide peace.
The peacemaker enjoys peace within himself (Psalm 23:1–3), a condition so intertwined in his peace with God as to be inseparable. He is also at peace about his physical well-being and financial security. He agrees with the apostle Paul, who had “learned to be content whatever the circumstances,” and could “do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:11–13)” – (Source: LeRoy Lawson, Unlocking the Scriptures For You, “Matthew,” pp. 61-62).
As I said above, God’s peacemakers are often misunderstood. They have prepared themselves to pay the price for peace and are often persecuted for it. “Blessed are the peacemakers”, for they try the nearly impossible. This peace is not appeasement but dealing with and solving problems to maintain peace. They search for the best in other people. They admit their limitations and are slow to find faults in others. Hesitant to condemn but quick to understand a brother’s weaknesses, the peacemaker offers grace and forgiveness in place of vengeance. Yet he or she is bold enough to stand against evil, disciplined enough to insist on order, and compassionate enough to embrace even the guilty offender.
Being a peacemaker is no easy task. It requires a devotion, discipline and obedience to the Prince of Peace that most are unwilling to give. They are called “sons of God” because they emulate the one true Son of God – Jesus Christ. Pastor and author Chuck Swindoll writes this:
“Those who make peace relieve tensions and don’t feed fuel to fires of controversy. A peacemaker seeks resolutions to arguments and debates. A peacemaker works hard to keep offenses from festering into fractured relationships. A peacemaker’s words generate light but not heat. Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” It is important to note, however, that being a peacemaker does not amount to being a passive person who lies down like a doormat and lets people walk all over them. The kind of peacemaking referred to here is active, not passive. Peacemakers are engaged in a ministry of reconciliation and restoration, entering troubled waters to help bring calm. In this way, they model in this life the ministry of Jesus, the Son of God, who came preaching peace and reconciliation to those willing to hear” (Source: Charles R. Swindoll, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament, “Matthew 1-15,” Vol. 1A, p. 90).
Questions To Consider
- Do you seek peace at any price or do you attempt to avoid any and all conflicts?
- Are you willing to be misunderstood and even persecuted to be God’s peacemaker? Why or why not?
- Being a peacemaker is not appeasement. Why is this a good thing?
- Would you say that everything is good between God and you? Meaning God is pleased with you and thus you are at peace with God. Why or why not?
- Would you say you are content with whatever circumstances you currently find yourself? Why or why not?
Scripture To Meditate On: 2 Corinthians 13:11, “Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you” (NASB).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Jesus, I do not like conflict, but I am willing to be Your peacemaker no matter the cost to me. Please help me to emulate You, the Prince of Peace in my life. I want to honor You with my life. I love You Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside!--Pastor Kelly