Noble Daily Wisdom for Peacemaking

A 365-Day Devotional
1. Auflage 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4245-6312-8
Verlag: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 384 Seiten

Experience the power of God's perfect peace.   Wherever there are people, there will be problems. Thankfully, God promises enduring peace even in the midst of conflict. Daily Wisdom for Peacemaking is a 365-day devotional that connects you to God's Word, teaching you how to uphold a kingdom-minded perspective and enjoy peace-filled relationships. Each day provides - thought-provoking Scriptures, - encouraging devotions, - challenging applications, and - comforting prayers.   God is love, and when we reflect his love in our relationships, we draw ourselves and others closer to Christ.    

Pastor Brian Noble is an everyday guy who loves Jesus and cares deeply about relationships. He has been married to his best friend, Tanya, for over twenty years; they have four children and currently reside in eastern Washington. Brian has a Master of Arts in missional leadership from Northwest University. He is the Executive Director/CEO of Peacemaker Ministries and has been an ordained minister for over twenty years. Brian proclaims hope through the gospel message as the Holy Spirit empowers believers in their daily lives. He believes in the power of the Word of God to transform lives. Since 2008 he has been a Certified Christian Conciliator, with over one thousand hours of conflict coaching and mediation experience. His caseload has been diverse, including marital cases, family business disagreements, public school conflict, and county government disputes. Brian loves to teach biblical peacemaking and watch the lights come on for participants. He has spoken to inmates in local jails, to HR reps at regional conferences, to denominational gatherings, and to churches in Uganda.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Noble, Brian

Leseproben

JANUARY 1

Anyone who does not love
does not know God,
because God is love.

1 JOHN 4:8

The first word of this verse is clear. “Anyone” means everyone. Since you are “anyone,” how is your love for everyone? Your love for others will show your knowledge of God.

On the opposite side, our lack of love shows a lack of knowing God. How can John say that? Because God is love, so if we know God, we are affected by his love. God doesn’t just love. His very substance, nature, and being love.

That truth is powerful. Later, John says, “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1 John 4:16). “God is love” means God loves us. He loves you! That is amazing!

APPLICATION

Apply this amazing truth to your relationships today. Who do you love, and who are you struggling to love? How can you see those people through your knowledge of God?

Reflect on Romans 5:8. While we were still doing wrong and estranged from God, Jesus died for us. How can you “die” in your relational tensions? How can you take steps toward humility, toward dying to your rights and seeing the power of the gospel in your life? Think of ways you can demonstrate love to others by “dying” and truly serving and loving them.

JANUARY 2

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said,
“Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

EXODUS 3:14

God names himself the “I am.” Think about that. He doesn’t say, “I am a…” He simply says, “I am who I am.” In other words, there is none compared to God. God is God because he is God. This is both reassuring and intimidating. Reassuring because he sent his Son to save humanity and intimidating because we often proclaim that we are the “I am.”

How do we do that? We make judgments about others, break relationships, and elevate our preferences over God’s law.

God is the “I am”—the only Lawgiver, the only King. Read what James says:

The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law…There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? (James 4:11–12)

APPLICATION

How have you tried to act like God with your friends, spouse, or coworkers? What preferences have you raised above God’s law? Find an area to repent of by acknowledging your sin before God and the person you’ve ruled over. Recognize God as God and allow him (as if he needs to be allowed) to be the “I am” in your life.

JANUARY 3

But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever;
you are remembered throughout all generations.

PSALM 102:12

Sometimes we may feel like the worries of life have overshadowed us. Our joy may be withering like grass, but God is still forever enthroned and forever remembered.

Although we live in a fallen world, God still sits on his throne. Although our enemies seem to prevail, God is still on his throne. Although sickness may attack our bodies, God is still enthroned. Tears flow and depression lingers, but God is still enthroned.

How will you remember him today? Will you remember what it seems he isn’t doing, or will you remember his goodness? His deliverance? His comfort? Today in the midst of your trials, remember and proclaim God’s greatness. Your circumstances may not be good, but God is good.

APPLICATION

We all need absolutes about God in our lives. These absolutes will help you get through your circumstances if you believe—truly believe—that God is good.

Think about your closest human relationship. Have you ever had a struggle in that relationship? In the midst of that struggle, you can proclaim, . In other words, . Don’t be afraid to talk to him. He is amazingly good.

JANUARY 4

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

HEBREWS 13:8

Jesus Christ is the same. He has always been the same. He will forever be the same. This is so reassuring. Think about the eternalness of Jesus. Jesus doesn’t say to the adulteress woman, “I had compassion in the past, but for you, now, I am not sure.” He wasn’t only addressing the Pharisees of long ago when he said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence” (Matthew 23:25). Jesus says the same to us when we worry about cleaning our outsides and not changing our insides.

APPLICATION

How does Jesus’ unchangeableness apply to our relationships? Think about this: Jesus proclaims, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). The thief—the devil—wants to destroy relationships, but Jesus desires you to have abundant life, both personally and in all your interactions with others and with God. So here it is: Jesus is the same every day, always has been and always will be, and he wants you to experience abundant life in every aspect of your life, including your relationships.

JANUARY 5

“I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming.
He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.”

JOHN 14:30–31

In this verse, Jesus understood that he would face a betrayal, and the religious leaders would seek to kill him. He then makes a bold statement about his enemy: “He has no claim on me.” He knew that the enemy could not have victory over him. Then why did Jesus die on the cross? He was being obedient to his Father. We know that Jesus did not want to experience the pain and suffering, nor did he want to be separated from the Father. But Jesus’ love for the Father was greater than his desires.

What if Jesus had gotten a paper cut for our sin? Then his resurrection wouldn’t be a big deal. Jesus’ life was not taken from him; he willingly gave it, and that is why the resurrection is glorious. What was Jesus’ motive? His love for the Father.

APPLICATION

If Jesus loved the Father so much that he laid down his life for all people, shouldn’t we also lay down our lives for others? Reflect on 1 John 3:16. In your relationships today, how can you lay down your life for your friend or enemy out of love for your Father?

JANUARY 6

“Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us…Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly.”

NEHEMIAH 9:32–33

Nehemiah’s prayer refers to God as gracious, merciful, mighty, awesome, righteous, and faithful. Think about each of these characteristics of God. He is gracious (compassionate), merciful (forgiving), mighty (strong), awesome (to be revered), righteous (just), a God of lovingkindness and steadfast love. Even though we act wickedly, he deals with us faithfully.

Ephesians 5:1 says, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” Think about the words used to describe God. Consider how children imitate their parents. We are to imitate God in all of his attributes, which includes his grace, compassion, mercy, and faithfulness. He is to be revered, and we are to revere him as do children who have loving parents.

APPLICATION

This is one of the most challenging aspects of our walk with God. We are to imitate his grace, compassion, and faithfulness to others. Whether our relationships are healthy or not, we still need to imitate God. Don’t lose heart. In the face of another’s wickedness, you are able to imitate God because of his work through Jesus Christ on the cross because you are empowered by the Holy Spirit.