Sabbath Psalms - Comfort and Peace

Psalm 29:11   May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace! (ESV)

There seems to be a lot of trouble currently going on in the world, so it’s very easy to feel overwhelmed by its brokenness and be powerless to change anything. It’s like being in a tunnel of constant turmoil and, until we see light at the end of it, we’re probably all emotionally exhausted and spiritually drained.

During turbulent times like these, I look for comfort in verses from the Book of Psalms. It seems to me that those writers of ancient holy songs experienced a lot of instability and trouble in their lives, too. However, it made them rely on God instead of themselves; it made them seek strength and peace from the Only One who could provide it for them. The great news about what they experienced is this: we can still do the same.

Whatever circumstances you find yourself in this week, whatever’s happening to you or your family, whatever is going on in your lives, please know this: God has more than enough strength to carry you through this; and as today’s verse from Psalm 29 states: God will graciously help you find the peace that you need.

Q: What am I currently going through? How can God’s strength and peace help me endure and overcome it?

Prayer: Loving Lord, You know everything about us, so You perfectly understand what we need at this moment in our lives. If we are weak become our strength; if we are agitated, be our peace; if we are lost, be our Guide. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is a Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Sabbath Psalms - Lead Kindly Light

Psalm 43:3 Send me your light and your faithful care, let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. (NIV)

During the mid-1980’s a lot of people got interested in the reports of near-death experiences that seriously injured and gravely ill patients were having all over the world. Some critical event happened in each of their lives that made them feel they were finally dying. They felt as though they were floating above the surgeons, doctors, and nurses who were frantically trying to save their lives in an emergency room. As their spirits floated away, they were drawn to a pure white light, which attracted their souls away from their bodies into another realm.

Some of these NDEs, as they came to be known, said they met Jesus in the midst of the beautiful light and He told them that their time to be with Him had not yet come. All of a sudden, their free spirits rushed back into their bodies, just as a defibrillator, or an adrenaline shot was being used by the health care professionals to resuscitate them.

Documentaries were made about the people who survived death, and they seemed to be changed. They no longer had a morbid fear or fascination with death. To them, it was only a short journey to a better and brighter place. I came across one such person in Scotland, and after she expressed what she had similarly experienced, it also explained to me her change of character and rediscovered devotion to the Lord.

As we go through life, we face many challenges and sometimes we are fearful of what death will bring. This is where faith endures at its best. This is the time when our relationship to God and union with Christ will at last be sealed forever. We will go on enjoying and experiencing this life as much as we can on Earth, but ultimately every journey, no matter how long, successful, or powerful it has become, will end in death. The difference for the Christian will be that directly after death, we will find that sacred abode of light and at last see Jesus face-to-face.

Ponder: How does my faith in Jesus prepare for and lead me into the future?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the Light of the World, but You are also our Light to the Next World. Guide us each and every day, so that when our human journey ends, may we experience our eternal one begin at the twinkling of an eye, through the power of Your compassion, mercy, and love. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Short devotion - Unity and Peace

Short devotion – Unity and Peace 

Ephesians 4:3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (NIV)

             I can remember an old minister once preaching a sermon in which he said something like: “Twelve percent of the general population go to church on Sundays. Twenty percent of the general population would like to attend church on Sundays, but they don’t go because of the twelve percent who are already there.” His words stung the congregation because he was preaching the truth which was very hard to accept. The church members believed that they were God’s chosen people and followed the Lord faithfully. What they didn’t understand was that their zeal for the Lord and uncompromising ways actually turned a lot of people off from joining them on Sundays to worship Jesus.

            It saddens me that decades later, the old minister’s words are still very true. In recent years, the witness of Christ’s church has been damaged by aggressive pastors and congregations who puritanically seek to forcibly impose their beliefs on the entire population. School boards are rife with tyrannical menaces who threaten teachers and other parents with their book bans and religious demands. Local politicians and their parties hypocritically pass bills in the name of God which Jesus would never support, especially when those policies marginalize and dehumanize other people with different beliefs, ideas, origins, and lifestyle choices.

             I think it is important to remember that when Paul wrote his revered letters to young Christian churches, he was dealing with similar problems and divisions. This is why he emphasized the need to promote the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace – church people were meant to be peacemakers and not peace breakers. Outsiders were supposed to be made welcome, attracted to the church, and not targeted by it for being different, alien, or foreign. The House of God was – and still is – big enough for everyone; the question we need to face is this: are our hearts and minds, as well as our faith, big enough to accept that?

Point to ponder: Does my faith attract other people to Christ? If not, what do I need to change about me?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we call ourselves Christians because we want to be identified with You, Your teaching and truth, as well as Your ministries and missions. Help us not to get in the way of Your work; instead, change us to truly become people of Your Way. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.