Promised peace
And I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. ~ Ezekiel 37:26 (NLT)
He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. ~ Ephesians 2:17 (NLT)
KEY IDEA:
God's promise of peace exceeds his words.
PRAYER:
God, you are a God who makes, keeps, and exceeds promises. This is so evident in your promise of peace to the Jews. Not only did you reconcile them to yourself, but you extended the same reconciliation to all people. That's a great gift -- that I don't take seriously enough. I let fear rather than peace define my life. I am as eager as the rest to make war against our enemies. Fill me with a fresh enthusiasm for living out your promised peace. I am going to move forward as an agent of your peace no matter what happens. Amen.
TRANSLATIONS
ABP = Authorized Boydston Paraphrase — my own freestyle biblical adaptation — somewhere between paraphrase, commentary, and sermon
CEB = Common English Bible (©2011, the Common English Bible)
CEV = Contemporary English Version (©1995, American Bible Society)
MSG = The Message (©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)
NIRV = New International Reader's Version (©1996, 1998, Biblica)
NIV = New International Version (©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, Biblica)
NLT = New Living Translation (©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, Tyndale House Foundation)
