Midweek Praise: Hope in Peace

Wednesday November 25 2020

“Do your best to preserve the unity which the spirit gives by the means of the peace that binds you together.” Ephesians 4:3

Prayer
Jesus, we thank you for the hope that is only found in you. We thank you for your Word, which fills us with assurance of your great and precious promises for us.
Lord, we pray that today you would fill us with hope, and that you would help us to be anchored deeply in you.
Help us to keep our eyes on you Father God, instead of the circumstances, and we pray that you would calm our emotions, our anxieties, and that you would flood us with your perfect peace as we keep our minds stayed upon you.
We trust you Father. We know that you are working all things together for our good, and you will turn this situation around for your glory.
Lord please help us to see the light of hope, so that we might help others to see the light of hope, shine out from us through our praise and stories of the Gospels so that they might desire it for themselves.
Lord we thank you for filling us with hope, until it overflows. Through our saviour Jesus Christ the Lord, Amen.

Reflection
: Ephesians chapter 4 verse 3 says,
“Do your best to preserve the unity which the spirit gives by the means of the peace that binds you together.”
It could be said that this provides four applications of how Christian faith should translate into Christian behaviour. Those traits are humility, gentleness, patience, and love. These are encouraged as ways to live, as a worthy of the calling we have been given by God. This verse supplies an additional characteristic passion for unity with other Christians. This kind of harmony has been a focus throughout Paul’s letter and will return in verse 13.
Ephesians 2:11-22 offered a lengthy passage focussed on the theme of unity between Jews and Gentiles in Christ. Paul often spoke of Christians as being together (Ephesians 2:5, 21,22,) as a body is one unit made of separate members.
This unity ought to also take place in the bond of peace. Peace is another theme which Paul mentions multiple times in this letter (Ephesians 1:2, 2:14, 15, 17, 16:15, 23). Christ is our peace. He made peace, he preached peace, gives us unity in peace and offers a gospel of peace. Peace is part of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and important for every believer (Romans 5:1) Paul calls peace a bond which is an interesting choice of words. It is entirely possible Paul was wearing bonds in the form of prison chains on his hands and feet when writing this letter. He had certainly worn them before (Acts 16:23-26).
In this verse of the Ephesians from the Bible, Paul the apostle is giving a compelling description of Christian unity. Every saved believer regardless of talent or skill, Jew or Gentile, male or female is saved by the same faith in the same God. Each Christian therefore is part of a single universal family of believers in Jesus Christ. At the same time God gives different gifts to different people so they can serve the many roles needed to accomplish his purposes here on earth. Rather than being concerned about what gifts or talents we lack, each Christian can rejoice in unity and focus on serving God to the best of our ability.
The chapter is suggesting everyone can have a task to do and we can all strive to work together and live peaceably and show that to other people around us.
Peace was God’s gift to us, not the peace the world offers, but God’s pledge to us was peace to be with us through his son Jesus Christ our saviour.
As it was written in the book of Romans chapter 15 verse 13:
“May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your faith in him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Gaelic Blessing
(from John Rutter's anthem)
Deep peace of the running wave to you. Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you. Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the gentle night to you. Moon and stars pour their healing light on you
Deep peace of Christ the light of the world to you. Deep peace of Christ to you. Amen