By Jane Fryar
Come, behold the works of the LORD. . . . He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire (Psalm 46:8–9 ESV).
Just imagine! Every uniform worn by every soldier in every army on earth consigned to an incinerator. Every weapon scrapped and melted down. Every battleship sunk. Every nuclear missile silo cemented shut. Imagine!
That’s the picture the psalmist paints for us. And it’s no pipe dream! Isaiah 9:5–6 (ESV) foretells the coming of the Prince of Peace:
For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
We often hear this prophecy read in church at Christmastime, but the peace Jesus brings is not just for Christmas.
Jesus is the Prince of Peace who was born for us, who died for us, and who rose again for us. He brings the settled peace of sins forgiven, the peace of knowing we are children of God—for now and forever.
But we do not always feel all that peaceful, do we?
We must live in the “now,” even as we look forward to the “not yet.”
Right now, we are God’s holy people. Right now, we belong to God’s family by faith in Jesus. Right now, peace and victory are ours. Our Welcome Home parade has been scheduled.
But we are not home yet.
So for now we look forward to the day when there will be no blue-star families, no gold-star families. We look forward to life in our Father’s perfect home where the celebration will never end.
Prayer: Until you come, Lord Jesus, keep all of us in your church clear-eyed, wise, and strong in you. Teach us to love as you love. Then help us to work together in love to proclaim you as Savior and Lord. Amen.
Editor’s note: Today’s devotion comes from CTA’s book Created for Community. The devotion book and digital teaching tools come together to form a five-week experience that will encourage your worshipers to love, worship, and serve together—inside and outside your church walls. It might just be the perfect churchwide theme for your ministry to kick off this fall!
You are welcome to copy this article for one-time use when you include this credit line and receive no monetary benefit from it: © 2019 CTA, Inc. Used with permission.
Editor’s note:
