ICS Daily Devotions
God is Always Close
Genesis 3:8-10 (NKJV) Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
Adam heard God’s voice but ignored it because he expected problems that he created by his wrong choice. He lost God’s peace in his heart and was overpowered by fear. He got a wrong picture of God. It can happen to us, too. Losing God’s peace in the midst of a storm in our lives, we may ignore God and eventually feel like if God does not hear our voice. But it is the deceit of the devil that he tries to implant in our minds. We need to look in the Scriptures to know the true reality. God is always close and ready to communicate with us!
We may have missed a prayer and we feel guilty and imperfect. In turn, we feel frustrated and condemned. We think that God cannot love us anymore. We may think: “I am just imperfect and flawed! It is not just one, but too many mistakes and sins! God cannot be close anymore!”
Yes, there is a punishment for sins, both the willful ones and those done from ignorance. But the good news is that God sent His only Son to pay for them. God does not see us as sinners anymore in Christ. We have been set free from the bondage of sin and death!
It is crucial for our spiritual life to maintain the peace of our body, soul, and spirit. The Hebrew word for peace is shalom, which means peace, completeness, welfare, and health. Shalom is a very important term in the Old Testament. In Israel today, people greet the newcomer and each other with the words mah shlomka, (“what is your peace,” “how are you doing,”) and they ask about the “peace” (“well-being”) of one’s family.
Genesis 26:28-29 (NKJV) Let us make a treaty with you that you will do us no harm, just as we did not harm you but always treated you well and sent you away peacefully. And now you are blessed by the Lord.
Isaac was blessed by God in the midst of the strangers, so they made a treaty with him. They hoped that the peace of God that was upon Isaac can extend to them as well. Shalom as a harmonious state of the soul and mind encourages the development of the faculties and powers. The state of being at ease is experienced both externally and internally. It concerns the physical health but also the spiritual, everlasting health.
Ezekiel 37:26 (NKJV) Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.
Ezekiel spoke about the new covenant as one of “peace.” The peace of God makes us complete! It starts with regeneration and continues with consecration, growing into spiritual maturity. A spiritually mature Christian enjoys the peace of God in his or her heart. We rely on the covenant with God that is unconditional and thus God’s promises will always come true. We can walk in the deeds that God has prepared for us without stress and frustration. There is a great power in the shalom of God. He is always close and is there for us.
Sermon series: Having the Peace of God (2)
