Shalom

Psalm 122:1 A Song of Ascents. Of David. I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go into the house of the Lord." 2 Our feet have been standing Within your gates, O Jerusalem! 3 Jerusalem is built As a city that is compact together, 4 Where the tribes go up, The tribes of the Lord, To the Testimony of Israel, To give thanks to the name of the Lord. 5 For thrones are set there for judgment, The thrones of the house of David. 6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you. 7 Peace be within your walls, Prosperity within your palaces." 8 For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, "Peace be within you." 9 Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek your good.

When you hear the word ‘peace,’ what happens in your mind?

I suggest a very pastoral setting comes to your imagination, perhaps a lush green pasture alongside a babbling brook. A gentle breeze tousles the hair, and the mind reflects upon not a care in this world. Ahhh…peace.

And every great once-in-a-while, such an imaginary setting is achieved, but even when it is…the next thought that follows is: How long can this last?

We know by experience peace is too good to be true for very long. The history of mankind on the face of the earth is strewn with war, broken up only by short periods of peace. In fact, you would have a difficult time finding a time period since the creation of the earth during which war was not going on somewhere. Presently, (according to wikipedia,) there are 27 organized conflicts going on in the world.

Peace is a very rare commodity. How can we have it? When?

The Bible teaches us when Messiah comes He will be called, “Wonderful counselor,” and, “Prince of peace.”

What a magnificent title Messiah has borne and will bear. He is the ruler of ALL that is peaceful, ALL that ever has been peaceful, and ALL that ever will be peaceful. If you ever want to know what it feels like to have the Holy Spirit speaking to you, or moving in your heart – ask yourself: When was the last time I had an overwhelming sense of peace in my body – or – When was the last time my mind and my heart were filled with peaceful thoughts?

Those would be the times, (for believer and non-believer alike,) that the Holy Spirit of God was influencing you, your thoughts and your actions. It may surprise some to know God influences those who do not believe in Him, but this is in fact one of the ways the Lord chooses to call those who don’t believe in Him. He shows them in a moment what the peace of God is truly like. Pray for that peace, for Jerusalem – and for yourself.

-  Pastor Bill