Daily Worship

Make me a channel of your peace

May 03, 2014 0 0

Romans 8: 31-36

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  As it is written:

‘For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’

Romans 8: 31 - 36
Everything is a gift, and God is generous. The universe is friendly, life is good, God is love. Grace is everywhere.
That does not mean that there will not be ‘trouble, hard times, hatred, hunger, homelessness, bullying threats, back stabbing and even worse….’ But they are ‘not going to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us.’ (v 35) 
What it does mean is that God is enlisting us in the fight against the sin and want and sorrow we 
Peace is what Christ comes to bring, peace on earth, peace with God, peace in our hearts.  And the weapons we use in the battles against our own problems as well as the suffering and injustice in the world, are the ones our Lord used – love, prayer, truth, grace, sacrifice.  If God ‘exposed himself to the worst’ we may have to also.  But also, if God has given us himself in Christ ‘is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly do for us?’ (v 32) Christ is in the presence at this very moment of God sticking up for us. (v34)
We all have a part to play in bringing about the purposes of God. When the love of God seems far away, the love of God’s people must be very near.

Romans 8: 11
‘If God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than him.’


Prayer
Lord, make me a channel of your peace. Amen

 

by David and Maggie Lunan