God’s Peace Gives Us Hope
Bible Readings
Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.
1 I am the your God! So don't make or worship idols or images. 2 Respect the Sabbath and honor the place where I am worshiped, because I am the . 3 Faithfully obey my laws, 4 and I will send rain to make your crops grow and your trees produce fruit. 5 Your harvest of grain and grapes will be so abundant, that you won't know what to do with it all. You will eat and be satisfied, and you will live in safety. 6 I will bless your country with peace, and you will rest without fear. I will wipe out the dangerous animals and protect you from enemy attacks. 7 You will chase and destroy your enemies, 8 even if there are only 5 of you and 100 of them, or only 100 of you and 10,000 of them. 9 I will treat you with such kindness that your nation will grow strong, and I will also keep my promises to you. 10 Your barns will overflow with grain each year. 11 I will live among you and never again look on you with disgust. 12 I will walk with you—I will be your God, and you will be my people. 13 I am the your God, and I rescued you from Egypt, so that you would never again be slaves. I have set you free; now walk with your heads held high.
Leviticus 26:1-13
Memory Verse
Psalm 85:8
8 Show us your love and save us!
Karl was making Antonie’s life miserable. He’d bump him in the halls and knock down his school books. He’d cut in front of him at the monkey bars. He’d never pass to him during basketball.
Antoine told his dad about it after practice.
“I’m sorry, son. Some people are mean sometimes,” said his dad. “Let’s pray that God will fill you with peace, even if Karl doesn’t change.” He gave Antoine a hug. “Remember, just because Karl is acting unkindly, doesn’t mean you should treat him the same. When we’re praying for peace and being kind to others, God will give us peace even if the situation doesn’t change.”
Our actions, the way we live out our love of God, bring about his peace. It's a peace that we will feel even in times of conflict. God promised the Israelites that they would feel his peace even as he was talking about them having to fight. That’s the same peace he promises us.
And it’s this sense of peace, even when things are terrible, that gives us hope. When we let God’s love fill us, we feel peace even when we are hurt. And when we experience his peace, we can feel hopeful about tomorrow, because we know we can trust that God has a plan even if we don’t understand it.
This doesn’t mean that God will only give us his peace if we are perfect. But if we choose to put our hope and trust in God, it will be easier to notice his blanket of peace on us.
Prayer
Dear God, please help me to feel your peace even when my life doesn’t look peaceful. And when I feel that peace, please remind me that I can put my hope in you and trust that you will walk alongside me no matter what is going on. In Jesus’ name, Amen.Related Resources
Christina Van Starkenburg
Christina Van Starkenburg is an award-winning freelance writer and author of The Key Thief and One Tiny Turtle: A Story You Can Colour. In her free time, she enjoys reading, dancing, and exploring the world with her husband and three kids. Visit her at www.christinavanstarkenburg.com to read more.