You Can Have Peace Today!
STORY: Never Too Old!
I’m finding the saying “You are never too old . . . ” to be a true statement for so many situations. Let’s explore a few of them.
You are never too old to smile when you see Santa. Who doesn’t have the urge to want to stand in line with all the children, to tell him your Christmas wish list? Santa somehow represents all that is right with this world. Peace and good will toward men. Along with that, you are never too old to enjoy unwrapping gifts. Even though it is more blessed to give than receive, it is still great fun to get a gift!
You are never too old to right a wrong. If it is within your power to make amends, even for an age-old problem, why not do the right thing?
You are never too old to go back to school. I have friends who earned their GEDs as midlife adults, fulfilling lifelong dreams. What a thrill to watch them accept their diplomas! My Mom always desired to earn her LPN and then her RN, and she accomplished this in her late 30s and early 40s. We are never too old to learn, whether by formal education or through life experiences and books.
You are never too old to laugh. Being a grown-up isn’t all serious. I love seeing my husband’s eyes light up with glee as he delivers a spontaneous punch line. Don’t tell him I said this, but his countenance even looks younger with less burdens and more joy when he is having fun!
You are never too old to come to Christ. He came to us in the form of an infant over 2000 years ago. Two, Simeon and Anna, were living on borrowed time just to see the awaited Messiah. In his adult ministry, Jesus touched young and old alike. You are never too old to discover the peace of his indwelling presence.
STUDY: Let Peace Rule
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13 NLT)
This verse is vitamin-packed! It gives us so much rich detail regarding the victory we can have in God as we determine to grow in trusting him. Fill in the blanks to discover some of these power-packed morsels.
- The source of hope: _____
- God desires to fill us com______________ with _____ and ______.
- Why does God want to do this? Because you _________ in him.
- We will over_________ with con____________ _________.
- How will we overflow? Through the p_________ of the H________ S__________.
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! (Isaiah 26:3 NLT)
- This is one of my all-time favorite Bible verses on peace in Scripture.
- Who does God keep in perfect peace?
- What does trust have to do with being kept in perfect peace?
- What does fixing our thoughts on God have to do with experiencing perfect peace?
And this righteousness will bring peace. Yes, it will bring quietness and confidence forever. (Isaiah 32:17 NLT)
- This verse does a great job of showing off two of the wonderful benefits of peace.
- What does righteousness that brings peace deliver?
- Having a calm assurance is a pretty good reason to accept the delivery of this peace that comes with his righteousness.
And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. (Colossians 3:15 NLT)
- First I notice the word “let.” We have control over peace, choosing whether we let it into our lives or not.
- Where does this peace come from?
- Where does it rule?
- Who is called to live in peace?
- Also notice that tied to this verse about peace is how we are to live out that peace—always thankful.
- How does being at peace impact our gratitude?
- How does our gratitude influence our peace?
Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:9 NLT)
- Paul lived an audacious faith every hour of every day. Because of this 100% dedication, he had every confidence to offer others to watch what he did and copy it.
- In 1 Corinthians 11:1 (NLT), Paul says, “And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.” Would you have the same confidence to suggest other believers follow you in order to grow as Christ followers? It’s a bit daunting, isn’t it?
- Look what happens to believers who put into practice what they’ve learned during their time of disciple-training: “Then the God of peace will be with you.” Not just peace, but the God of peace. With us. Isn’t that what we want in this faith journey?
- One last note. Go back to the beginning of the verse. Notice the phrase, “Keep putting into practice.” This discipline isn’t a one-time act. It’s a continual act—we never outgrow it as we mature in Christ. We could reword it to say, “Continuously put into practice all you learned.”
STEPS: Keep Putting into Practice
- Let peace in. How will you go about doing that?
- Trust in God. What is the most difficult situation to trust God in right now?
- Focus your thoughts on God. What has gone out of focus spiritually in your life today?
Copyright © 2021 Kathy Carlton Willis, used with permission.