December 11 – A Time for Peace

I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.  John 17:6-12 

What is yours is mine and what is mine is mine…wait, no that isn’t what Jesus said. He said, all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine. My Uncle Len didn’t have a family and lived in his parent’s home until he got married at the age of 54 years old. He and my Dad had an electrical business together and farmed alongside each other, too. My Uncle spent a lot of time with us and was part of our family—so what was ours was his…but what was his was HIS! Jesus concept of things and people belonging to Him was that what was His belonged to His Father, too. That is a good concept for us to grasp also. Everything that we have really belongs to the Lord…we can’t take it with us off this earth…and although anything of value will be passed on to our children and grandchildren, the things of real value are relationships in our hearts. It is important that we “share” Jesus with everyone, but especially with those we know and love so that they can enjoy the glorious benefits of heaven one day. It is terribly sad to hear of anyone that had to go to hell…and be tormented the heat of the fire there for the rest of eternity because they didn’t choose to know and love Jesus as their Messiah—their Savior.

Eternity is a long time—forever. God has prepared eternity for everyone…it is up to them where they will spend it…Heaven or Hell. Go back to Daniel 12:2. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. In Ecclesiastes 3:11 God tells us He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart…. Everything has its own time. I love the verses in Ecclesiastes that talk about a time for everything: 

           There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—

A time to give birth and a time to die;

A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.

A time to kill and a time to heal;

A time to tear down and a time to build up.

A time to weep and a time to laugh;

A time to mourn and a time to dance.

A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.

A time to search and a time to give up as lost;

A time to keep and a time to throw away.

A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;

A time to be silent and a time to speak.

A time to love and a time to hate;

A time for war and a time for peace.

 It is a great generalization to say that no one really wants war—isn’t that what love and hate unequally balanced are all about? And then there are those people who are continually seeking peace. Give peace a chance. The best way to find peace is to surrender yourself to Jesus and He will give you His peace…one that surpasses all understanding…and the best time for that? Now. The new pastor at the church I attend just preached on this peace last Sunday. Breathe…she said. And the congregation did. That’s what we need to keep doing…breathing. Breathing life and hope into our lives with Jesus. He is not only the reason for the season—He is the creator, the sustainer of life and the source of peace. Without breath, there is no life. Can you surrender your problems to Jesus…and breathe in His Hope, Peace and Strength? 

Jesus, please help us to breathe in Your peace—not only during this advent season—but all through the coming year. May your peace and love flow through us to our families, our neighbors, our community, our country and throughout the world, making disciples just like You commanded us to do. Whatever we have is Yours, Lord. Our families, friends, relationships, education, time, possessions, joys and sorrows—use them all for Your glory.

© 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).