The River of Peace

 

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39 ESV).

 

In the spring of 2022 Mary and I were able to make a trip to the Smokies. As is typically our custom, we stopped at the Old Mill in Pigeon Forge. As you can tell from the picture I’ve attached, the spring rains had made the river run at near capacity. It was a beautiful day and made the photo an easy one to capture the power and serenity it conveyed. The Old Mill is a working mill with various grinds of corn available for purchase. I like the finer ground meal for cornbread. The point is that without the river to power the mill, none of it would be possible.

 

Our reading today is from the teachings of Jesus where He tell the disciples they will receive the Holy Spirit who will bring “rivers of peace” from them to others. The Holy Spirit has taken on various forms that symbolize important blessings we receive when he lives within us. The Spirit comes as a dove and fills us with peace and holy contentment. We hear the voice of the Father, as when the dove came upon Jesus at his baptism: “You are my [child], whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22).

 

On Pentecost the Spirit descended with tongues of fire (cf. Acts 2:3), and the fire of the Spirit purifies us by burning away our selfish habits, our coarse language, our stubborn ingratitude, and our lack of grace in relationships. As the disciples of Jesus spoke in many languages on Pentecost, some of the onlookers thought they were drunk (cf. Acts 2:13) because the other languages sounded like babbling to them. However, to the people who spoke these languages, they could easily understand every word.

 

We experience the Spirit also as a comforter who comes to our aid and as a lawyer who defends us in situations of distress (cf. John 14:15-27; 15:26). The Spirit is also described as a river of living water. Like a spring bubbling up within us, the living water of the Spirit ensures that we will never be thirsty again (cf. John 4:13-14). Life in the Spirit is truly an abundant existence. And this is as normal in the Christian life as it is in nature. There is great power in this river of peace!

God Showing Out!

 

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. (Psalm 8:3-8 ESV).

 

Mary and I were driving to an early morning lab appointment and coming out of the west exit on to the main road we looked across the pasture of one of the ranches and saw the third bloom of what has been called a “super bloom.” We have bluebonnets, Indian paintbrushes, and many other wildflowers throughout our area of Texas; however, I’ve never seen as many varieties and continuous blooms as this year. The picture I’ve included here is mainly the wild yuccas that grow throughout the area. The wonder of it is that all of them seem to be blooming at the same time. We have lived in Texas for nearly 70 years and neither of us have ever seen such a beautiful site. It reminded me of our reading today. David is the author of this psalm. He would have had plenty of time while tending the sheep to have seen such sights.

 

It is always amazing to me to see how intricately God has put together His creation. There are so many unique features depending on the geographical location, season of the year, and time of the day. God’s beauty is truly limitless. That is true with nature and humanity. There is beauty in every person God has created. I think it is tragic we so often fail to recognize that truth.

 

Our failure often results in behavior that is so unbecoming of the followers of Jesus. It must grieve Him that we have so little appreciation of the handiwork of His creative wonder. Perhaps, like David, we should stop in our busy lives and just see what He has done. We should recognize that if He has taken such care to create flowers, which are here today and gone tomorrow, honestly, how much more does he care for us? After all, we are so much more intricately designed. It ought to call to us to treat everything and everyone with the respect due to created works from His hand.

 

Nothing He does is coincidental or haphazard. God is purposeful. Treat others as priceless works of art. God is really showing out these days… I wonder if we are closer to seeing Jesus in the eastern sky that we think!

 

Happy Birthday, Mary!

 

husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. (Proverbs 31:10-12 ESV).

 

Happy Birthday, Mary! God has always taught me through experiences. Thus, I have come to use “stories” to express what I have learned about the truth of God. So, on this day of celebration, let me tell a story. I’m actually writing this on Friday, June 2^nd, Mary and I went out to a lab appointment and out to eat breakfast. Returning home, I decided to write a few devotionals to get ahead a bit. Mary is sitting in the room watching television in the background and reading a book. A commercial began to play advertising “soaker tubs.” For background you should know that we specifically designed our home without tubs. We do have a very large walk-in shower with a bench across the back, however, it certainly is not a place to “soak.” As the commercial played, Mary said, “That’s what I want for my birthday! I want a soaker tub. Can I have a soaker tub?” Having had this conversation on many occasions in the past, I kept writing in silence. She then said, “You don’t have your ear pods in, and I know you can hear me.” I still remained silent. This conversation is certainly a no-win situation.

 

After a moment or two another commercial came on advertising hot tubs. She pressed on. “Will our deck hold a hot tub?” I made the mistake of answering, “Sure. It’s strong enough.” She said, “Well, I know I can’t have a soaker tub, so I want a hot tub.” Shaking my head in resignation, I merely said, “Yeah… nope.” She retorted, “You are so mean.” And, we both had a good laugh.

 

Laughter is “good medicine for the heart” (Proverbs 17:22). I have had more than half o century of good medicine thanks to her. Truly “she is far more precious than jewels.” Acknowledging that publicly one day out of the year seems so inadequate; however, I know God has always been working through her to bring the best into my life regardless of my acknowledgment. Today, however, I simply say… Happy Birthday, Sugar! I hope it’s the best ever!

 

Gentleness

 

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. (Titus 3:1-2 ESV).

 

Over the last few days I’ve been using the fruits of the Spirit to base the devotional on. Today I am focusing on gentleness. It is a trait that is the least-talked about in our culture. Even though it is often overlooked, it is one of the most important character traits of people who live by the Spirit. It is also one of the most powerful. Unfortunately, the Bible often uses the word “meekness” to describe this characteristic. In our modern use of the word “meek”, or “meekness”, we tend to associate that with weakness. Nothing could be further from the true meaning of this word.  

 

Our world today does not value gentleness. Instead, we are loud, boisterous, rowdy, showy, obnoxious, and pushy. In fact, the common position is one of bullying. We tend to value that trait as one that wins. This has resulted in one description of our culture in North America as “restless, rootless, and ruthless.” Gentleness is the opposite of these. Gentle folks are not restless but calm and composed, not rootless but stable, not ruthless but respectful. Biblical synonyms for the word gentle include humble, meek, considerate, courteous, respectful, and noble. These are strengths to be desired and practiced.

 

Gentleness is actually the result of bringing great strength under control. In a biblical sense, the strongest people are those who dare to be gentle. And the best example to guide us is Jesus. Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). To be gentle or meek is to be God-molded, Christ-shaped, and Holy Spirit-directed. Ask the Spirit for an extra measure of gentleness today.

 

Practicing Patience

 

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord mis at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. (James 5:7-11 ESV).  

 

Wouldn’t it be foolish to plant some seeds for your vegetable garden one day and return the next day only to dig them up to see if they are really doing anything? Though that seems to be the practice of most of our patience. I must confess that I often do not practice patience. It has gotten a bit easier as I have aged, mostly because my “schedule” is relaxed significantly from the days when everything needed to be done immediately. All of us seem to expect immediate results. However, it is only when the fruit of patience is allowed to mature slowly will we ever taste its sweetness.

 

In The Way of Christian Living, a book on the fruit of the Spirit, John Timmerman relates his discovery of the essence of patience. He grew up in a house with a drafty bedroom, and his parents would close that room in the winter and use it only to store Christmas presents. John would sneak into that room and delicately shake each package to guess the contents. But whenever he went into that room, his mom and dad would notice the rush of cold air in the house, and they would catch him in the act. The presents had to wait until Christmas morning. John learned to wait even though he didn’t feel like it!

 

Patience involves waiting with anticipation. Just as the farmer waits for the rains to help grow his crops, so we wait with expectation for God’s promises to be fulfilled. Patience involves awaiting God’s time without doubting God’s love. This means waiting without worrying, complaining, or demanding that God should satisfy our timetable. It does take practice; and, like any other pursuit, we can never get better with the practice. Ask God to empower you with the strength and resolve to practice patience.

 

Walk Worthy in Peace

 

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:1-6 ESV).

 

The Apostle Paul comes to this part of his letter to the churches of Asia Minor and simply says, “… walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which to have been called” (v. 1). He does go on to describe what this “walk” should look like; and, he says all of it should be “to maintain unity in the bond of peace” (v. 3).

 

Over the last decade our world can be described as anything but peaceful, though some have been desperate in their search of peace. World War I was called “the war to end all wars,” but soon a second, bigger World War followed. In the 1960s flower children stuffed carnations into soldiers’ gun barrels while protesting “peace, peace.” In the 1970s youth gave up their militancy and sought peace in inner feelings. In the 1980s and ’90s the cry was “peace through prosperity.” Yuppies chased after peace by accumulating wealth and pursuing upward mobility. But now in the 21st century most people simply do not know where to look to find the peace they crave.

 

The key is in “the calling to which we have been called.” We can only achieve peace individually or communally when the Holy Spirit dwells within us. I know that is an elusive goal for many. However, in this pursuit the Holy Spirit can open our eyes to injustice calling us to work against the common practice of division. Just as fallen humans wage war with all of their ability and tenacity, Christians ought to wage peace with similar vigor and strategy. When we live in the Spirit, we maintain our unity in Christ through the bond of peace that he bought for us. Is there ever a valid reason for the rhetoric we so often witness from the polarizing behavior of so many people in our world today? Is that walking worthy of the calling to which we have been called? Take care to practice peace to all and walk worthy of the name by which we are known.

 

Showing Love to Strangers

 

Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:1-6 ESV).

 

The writer of Hebrews says, “Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” (vv. 1-2). There is so much to unpack in these verses. It is an incredible declaration that we must be careful to practice kindness in ignorance. By that I mean we do not need to know anything about someone to be kind to them. I don’t need to know how they came to be in need of kindness to simply be kind. And, then, the writer says we could be showing kindness to a messenger of God. Buying an extra burger to share with a homeless person, helping someone change a flat tire on their car, offering a ride to a colleague who needs one are only a few of the examples I can think of showing such a kindness.

 

God often gives us opportunities to show hospitality and compassion for someone who has a need. One of the saddest conversations I’ve had in recent years involved a young person who said they found “Christians” to be the most demanding and unkind people in the course of their work. This person worked in a grocery store that provided a service to all their customers by escorting their groceries to their vehicles and helping them load them. Additionally, the store policy was that they could not accept any gratuity for the service. I was told how often they would be met with judgmental or condescending attitudes from the people who proudly claimed to be church members.

 

The world needs to see us as people of compassion, people who act like Jesus. That will happen when we nurture a habit of practicing compassion. It is not by accident that the writer of Hebrews urges readers to love each other and to look out for the needs of strangers. Who knows… they may even be angels in our presence!