Matthew 5:10
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
Has there ever been a time of greater need for peacemakers? In these days everything from politics to dietary preferences divides people. What will bring us back together?
Years ago now, I took a team to Thailand to help lead a conference for missionaries working in Northwest China. One of our responsibilities for that week was to provide programs for the children of those missionaries. All the children spoke good English, but their families came from different parts of the world. Most of them probably also spoke one of the minority languages of Xinjiang Province. It may or may not surprise you to learn that some of those missionary children reflected stress on their lives. And we had to deal with conflicts nearly every day.
One afternoon one of the boys who seemed to be in emotional high gear all the time, ran right in front of me, accidentally knocking a smaller child down, and hit another boy in the back of the head with his fist. The boy who was hit was not hurt severely, though he did put his hand on the back of his head and look around for who had smacked him.
We were in the process of taking the children into the next room for one of their twice-a-day VeggieTale treats. I caught the offender by the arm and detained him while the other workers directed the rest of the children to gather around the television set to watch the video.
“What did you do wrong?” I asked the boy.
On the verge of tears he screamed at me, “I want to go watch VeggieTales!”
“But what did you do wrong?” I asked the second time.
“But he said . . .”
I cut him off. “What did you do wrong?” He wouldn't answer. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. I held him as he struggled to go into the next room. We were near the open door and he could hear the introductory song of VeggieTales.
“I want to go see the movie.” He yelled again.
“You have to tell me what you did wrong.”
“But I want to go!”
“You evidently don't want to go badly enough to talk to me about what you did wrong.”
“But Joshua. . .”
I stopped him again. “I'm not talking to Joshua. I am asking you to tell me what you did wrong.”
He struggled with me for about 20 minutes before he began to calm down.
He finally admitted that he had hit the other boy in the back of the head because he was mad. He evidently didn't know he had knocked the small girl down as he charged across the room.
“What do you think you need to do about this?” I asked. He was at first willing to miss the rest of the VeggieTales video rather than apologize. But the video was still playing within earshot. His restrained tears finally began to run as he agreed to apologise to the other two children as soon as the video was over. I took him in to see the rest of the video. He scooted in among the other children seated on the floor around the TV. He was still obviously upset.
After he was settled in, the boy he was angry at touched his shoulder and motioned for him to sit by him. He scooted back to be next to the other boy who grinned at him. He didn't wait until the video was over to say he was sorry to the boy who reached out to him.
I did not tell you this story so you would identify the peacemaker here. But I do think it highlights some of the dynamics of peacemaking that Jesus gives us in Matthew 5:10.
First, peace comes from a peacemaker rather than a situation.
A peacemaker is always someone who is at peace with God. Note I did not say someone who has made peace with God. If you are at peace with God, God has made peace with you. But you must humble yourself to respond to His grace.
Those who have received God's peace have had their arrogance washed away at the cross of Jesus.
And finally, peacemakers reach out to others as God has reached out to us.
These are not necessarily a sequence of steps. The relationship, humility, and purpose of God's peace are fundamental our relationship with God. People will see and recognize a radical difference in God's peacemakers. And God Himself will not be ashamed to identify us as His own.
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Ramadan Prayer
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June 18, 2016
Oman
"I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys.
I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs."
- Isaiah 41:18 (NIV)
There are only a handful of Omani believers in the country and the spiritual climate is described as hard, dry ground.
Pray that God will "soften" this hard ground and pour out His Spirit on the nation like rain on the dry desert.
There is a great deal of worry and fear amongst the people of this nation due to the fact that no one knows who will take over once the current Sultan dies. He has been very ill for a long time and the inevitable change and the unknown has really shaken the feeling of security that most Omanis have had for many years. There is also fear that the crisis in neighbouring nations could "spill over" into a place that has been known for peace. The people of Oman have placed their hope and trust in their country's security and stability, as much as in religion, and the thought of losing that security causes great fear in many of the people.
Superstition and fear of spirits and curses are very much present in day-to-day life. There is also the constant emptiness of trying to be good enough but not having the reassurance of salvation. Islam is a part of life from childhood, but many of the younger generation don't feel a connection with religion.
There is no known Omani church and the few national believers are isolated and live in danger and fear. Pray for the believers to have the freedom to connect with one another to grow and be encouraged.
Christian workers in Oman explain: There is great anticipation that God is on the move and many are feeling the need to pray with urgency. There is also an urgency to sow the seeds of the Gospel now abundantly while there is still the ability to do so. Please pray that God would pour out mercy and love on these people that have been known as peacemakers. Pray for the workers who, despite the risks, are still able and willing to share the Gospel in the hope of a thriving Omani church.
Source: Christians in Oman
Bless Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said of Oman and his government with continued leadership in negotiating peace between nations.
Bless the people with education and a desire to work and serve to make Oman a better country.
Bless the expatriate Churches with love for You and love for their neighbors.
Father, You say; "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." Father, bless them with many coming into Your Kingdom. (Prayer based on Matthew 5:9, the Holy Bible)
Source: WIN International Network
