PEACE

ZEPHANIAH 3:14-15 (TCEB)
Sing it loud, City of Zion
Sing for joy, Israel.
Put your heart into it
And sing out, Jerusalem.
The LORD pardoned you.

EPHESIANS 2:17 (TCEB)
Jesus came and preached peace to you. Some of you were far from God. Others were near God. Jesus preached the same message of peace to everyone.

THE ESSENCE
God's message and messenger embody peace for all who will accept it. 

DAILY FODDER
Why is peace such a fundamental aspect of the gospel? What does this tell us about the character of God? 

PRAYER
God, I'm grateful that your gospel message is about peace. We certainly need it. I confess that my natural approach is to only stick up for like-minded tribe members. Help me to move beyond such a narrow mindset. Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me bring love. Where there is offence, let me bring pardon. Where there is discord, let me bring union.  Let peace begin with me. I'm eager to share your message of peace through my life and my words. Amen. (Hat tip to The Prayer of St Francis)

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

UNEXPECTED

PSALM 65:8 (GNT)
The whole world stands in awe
   of the great things that you have done.
Your deeds bring shouts of joy
   from one end of the earth to the other.

ACTS 16:34 (TCEB)
When the jailer brought them into his house, he also gave them some food. He was bursting with joy after putting his faith in God and knowing that his entire family had done the same.

THE ESSENCE
Fresh faith breaks out in unexpected places.

DAILY FODDER
Who are these people who have come to joy through faith? People from the ends of the earth. A Roman jailer and his family. These people all seem to be in the "least likely" category. Who are the least likely that you've written off? 

PRAYER
God, I can become too comfortable in the middle, where I manage to make my faith safe. Show me again the radical deliverance you offer. Your margins run to eternity. Even those I have written off are a part of the vocabulary of salvation. Teach me to spell again with your grace. Amen. (Daily Texts, Ground Up Grace edition)

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

SUFFERING

JUDGES 6:13 (GNT)
Gideon said to him, "If I may ask, sir, why has all this happened to us if the LORD is with us?"

1 PETER 1:6-7 (GNT)
Be glad about this, even though it may now be necessary for you to be sad for a while because of the many kinds of trials you suffer. Their purpose is to prove that your faith is genuine. Even gold, which can be destroyed, is tested by fire; and so your faith, which is much more precious than gold, must also be tested, so that it may endure.

THE ESSENCE
The positive side of suffering is that it improves the quality of our faith. 

DAILY FODDER
If suffering has benefits, why should or shouldn't we seek it out? 

PRAYER
Merciful God, thank you for being present with us in our suffering and for turning the difficult moments into growth experiences. Forgive me for embracing a "Why me?" attitude when difficulties arise. Encourage me with a grander outlook. I'm hopeful because I've seen how Christ has turned his suffering into salvation for the whole world. Amen. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

AGAIN, AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN...

EXODUS 19:4 (TCEB)
You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians. And you watched me lift you out of Egypt, like an eagle carrying you away.

2 CORINTHIANS 1:10 (TCEB)
He saved us from the brink of death. He’ll keep on rescuing us. We’re counting on him to save us once again.

THE ESSENCE
We're counting on God to rescue us once again — and again, and again, and again...

DAILY FODDER
Christ Jesus is God's personalized rescue plan. His Holy Spirit, who has more energy than the Energizer bunny, seems to enjoy looking after us. How have you experienced God's rescue in your life?

PRAYER
Thank you, Jesus, for your redundant salvation. Again and again, I find myself in Egypt-land. Whether by walking or worrying, I get stuck in fear. And here you come to swoop me up and out of my bondage. Grab me by your talons and pierce me again with your crucified faith. Amen. (Daily Texts, Ground Up Grace edition)

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.