Lord, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us ~ Isaiah 26:12

 

“A tourist writes of a spring as sweet as any that ever gushed from sunny hillside, which one day he found by the sea when the tides had ebbed away. Taking his cup he tasted the water and it was sweet. Soon the sea came again and poured its bitter surf over the little spring, hiding it out of sight. When the tide ebbed away again, the tourist stood once more by the spring to see if the brackish waves had left their bitterness in its waters; but they were sweet as ever. This is a picture of the peace in the heart of the Christian when floods of bitter sorrow and trial sweep over his life. From secret wells the sweet waters flow, crystal and fresh as ever. They have their source in the heart of God.” (J. R. Miller, D. D.)


J. R. Miller writes a beautiful analogy of what it is like to have the peace of God within. In these days of covid19 many of us need this peace, for the stresses of a world which has literally stopped brings much unrest for people. It is hard sometimes to remember that all we have and all we accomplished was not of our own doing, but that a great God ordained it for us. The Lord God bestows blessings on those who believe in Him, but we have to have the faith that when all our “securities” seem to vanish, He is our greatest Security, and He will never vanish. The Apostle Paul reminds us to give thanks in all situations. It does not mean he wants us to give thanks for the situation, that would be shallow, for many situations bring great tribulation, sadness, pain, and suffering. But in the midst of our situation, we give thanks to a God who grants to us many blessings. This is a way to strengthen our faith, and that in itself is a great blessing! In Isaiah’s words here, we are encouraged to testify our gratitude, to declare to others the acts of God’s kindness, and to acknowledge that we are indebted to God for everything we possess, great and small. And, in that gratitude, we also hope for the future, for if we are so important to God that He would carve us in the palm of His hand, we are important enough to Him to come through covid19 as a blessed people.
Pastor Julia

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