A devotional by Wendy Wilson Spooner
“And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” –Micah 4:3 (KJV)
Micah is known as one of the minor prophets. Not because his words weren’t prophetic and highly meaningful, but because his book is one of the shorter ones in the Old Testament of The Holy Bible.
Micah showed us war and peace in his words. He speaks of violence in Micah 2:2 (KJV), where he states that God rebukes people who “covet fields and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away...”
Then Micah prophesied of the future, and saw a time when nations would not lift up their swords against each other anymore (Micah 4:3 KJV). Is it our time he saw? In the near future?
Each of us should pursue peace, but what is the definition of peace? Some think it is the absence of war, and many decent people support peace by opposing war. But just challenging war doesn’t bring a ceasefire. Only the Gospel of Jesus Christ can do this.
The peace the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings is so much more than the absence of war. It is the opposite of war. I believe that Gospel peace is the reverse of any battle, armed or unarmed; it is the opposite global conflict, of ethnic hostilities, and family or civil strife.
In Micah 4:5 (KJV), he saw a future time, maybe a time coming soon, where “all people will walk every one in the name of his God, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.”
Is this a statement of free agency? Of tolerance? God never forces anyone to do anything. Even when it comes to worshiping Him. That is not His way. We are always free to choose.
So is freedom at the heart of peace? I think it’s one of the cornerstones. Following Jesus in all is ways is where the rest comes in. We don’t know exactly when peace is coming, but we know it is. And it’s coming with Jesus Christ—when He returns.
But can we, even now, have hearts filled with peace amid so much strife? I believe we can. God had shown us this possibility if we keep His commandments, especially loving Him, and loving one another. This can take place first in our individual hearts, then in our homes. This is where we have the most power to promote peace.
And maybe, just maybe, it can spread from there.
Let’s Pray:
Each of us should pursue peace, but what is the definition of peace? Some think it is the absence of war, and many decent people support peace by opposing war. But just challenging war doesn’t bring a ceasefire. Only the Gospel of Jesus Christ can do this.
The peace the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings is so much more than the absence of war. It is the opposite of war. I believe that Gospel peace is the reverse of any battle, armed or unarmed; it is the opposite global conflict, of ethnic hostilities, and family or civil strife.
In Micah 4:5 (KJV), he saw a future time, maybe a time coming soon, where “all people will walk every one in the name of his God, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.”
Is this a statement of free agency? Of tolerance? God never forces anyone to do anything. Even when it comes to worshiping Him. That is not His way. We are always free to choose.
So is freedom at the heart of peace? I think it’s one of the cornerstones. Following Jesus in all is ways is where the rest comes in. We don’t know exactly when peace is coming, but we know it is. And it’s coming with Jesus Christ—when He returns.
But can we, even now, have hearts filled with peace amid so much strife? I believe we can. God had shown us this possibility if we keep His commandments, especially loving Him, and loving one another. This can take place first in our individual hearts, then in our homes. This is where we have the most power to promote peace.
And maybe, just maybe, it can spread from there.
Let’s Pray:
Father in Heaven,
Let us prepare our hearts by establishing peace inside us, so when You do return, we will be ready, we will know You, and we will all live in peace together.
In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.
~*~
Song of Reflection: “I’ll Give You Peace” by Sandi Patty. Listen to it here.
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Author Bio:
Wendy is a Genetic Genealogist by day, a writer by night, and an artist in between.
~*~
Song of Reflection: “I’ll Give You Peace” by Sandi Patty. Listen to it here.
~*~
Author Bio:
Wendy is a Genetic Genealogist by day, a writer by night, and an artist in between.
Her love of what we can learn from history compels her to write the true stories she unearths because she’s found that truth is indeed much more exciting and inspiring than fiction.
Wendy writes about family, faith, grief, art, and overcoming obstacles in life by coming to know who we really are—the children of God, and the descendants of incredible people who paved the way for us—even if they really struggled. Wendy believes in learning from our ancestors, honoring them, and then standing on their shoulders to become a better generation.
As an award-winning family history writer, Wendy’s debut novel, Once Upon an Irish Summer, released April 3, 2020. This book is a dual timeline historical fiction novel about a young, gifted artist suffering from debilitating grief, who finds healing and inspiration in her Irish ancestry, and goes on to paint a masterpiece.
The sequel, Celtic Winter: Eliza’s Story, released November 5, 2021. The storyline goes back in time to the little sister left behind in Ireland to keep her family alive, woven with present-day Beth’s continuing story as she races the clock with the young man she loves to find the only person who could save his mother’s life.
When Wendy is not researching or writing, she hikes, paints, loves being a church youth leader, binges on epic Bollywood movies, and hangs out with her greatest loves—her family.
~*~
Connect with Wendy:
Website: https://wendywilsonspooner.com/
Blog: https://wendywilsonspooner.com/blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorWendyWilsonSpooner/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendyspooner/
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