OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - TUESDAY - 01/07/2014 - PEACE LIKE A RIVER BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

PEACE LIKE A RIVER

MEMORISE

O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:

Isaiah 48:18

READ

Isaiah 48:18-19

18 To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?

19 The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.

MESSAGE

If you desire to combine long life with pleasurable days, you must keep your tongue from evil, do good, and depart from evil. You must seek peace and pursue it. This means that wherever there is a conflict, you must do everything in your power to install peace. You must vigorously follow after peace. Proverbs 16:7 says,

“When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.”

From this scripture, we see that there is a link between our relationship with God and the type, duration and extent of our peace. Isaiah 9:6 calls Jesus the Prince of Peace. In other words, Jesus is the manufacturer and true custodian of peace. There is no way you can enjoy lasting peace without first pleasing Him. What kind of peace are you enjoying? The peace that you have is a reflection of your relationship with the Prince of Peace. If you please Him, He can settle the conflicts that exist between you and your enemies. If you want to settle the conflict between you and your enemies or even between you and your loved ones, yet you keep the Prince of Peace at a distance, then you are not yet ready for settlement.

“O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:”

Isaiah 48:18

From this scripture, we see that total obedience to God is one major way to please God and secure peace. Also from this scripture, peace is likened to a river. This implies that peace flows. It is something that other people can draw from. Unfortunately, the peace that some people have is not enough for them, to talk less of extending it to others. God wants to give you peace like a river so that many troubled souls can contact you and find peace. Do you have peace? Can your peace calm the stormy situations of others? Does your peace flow to others? How is your relationship with God? Whatever the situation, it can be better. Improve in your obedience to God and see things change in your favour.

KEY POINT

Pleasing God and obeying His commandments are the currency for purchasing God’s peace.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Numbers 16-17;