2025/02/16 Devotional
Proverbs 16:7 — When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even the man’s enemies live at peace with him.
In Genesis 26, Abimelech, the king of the Philistines, sent Isaac away from his lands because he feared Isaac. He stopped up the wells Isaac was using to water his flocks so Isaac would be forced to move elsewhere. Later, Abimelech came to Isaac, and Isaac said, “Why have you come to me? You hated me and sent me away.” Abimelech replied, “We can plainly see that the LORD has been with you.” Abimelech made a covenant with Isaac to live in peace.
Abimelech could see that the Lord was pleased with Isaac. Since God was on Isaac’s side, Abimelech knew it would be foolish to go against Isaac, so he made peace with him. Why was God on Isaac’s side? Isaac had made peace with God. Just like his father Abraham, Isaac believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness. Isaac made peace with God by putting his faith in God’s words and God’s ways.
God sent Jesus to the human race to die in their place even though we were enemies of God (Romans 5:10) so that we could have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). What Jesus did through His self-sacrificing love pleased the Father so much that God can make peace with us and give us the gift of righteousness and eternal life.
Now, as sons and daughters of God, we are called to be peacemakers (Romans 12:18; Hebrews 12:14; Luke 6:27-28). This is one of the ways that we can please the Lord and help people make peace with God. We should hope that people can plainly see that the Lord is with us, enabling us to love our enemies. This is not natural for us as human beings, but as Christians we are called to live supernaturally by the power of God’s grace.
“Peacemakers who sow in peace reap the fruit of righteousness,” (James 3:18).
02/16/2025 Devotional
"Isaac made peace with God by putting his faith in God’s words and God’s ways."
Leviticus 3:1, 5 NLT
[1] “If you present an animal from the herd as a peace offering to the Lord, it may be a male or a female, but it must have no defects.
[5] and Aaron’s sons will burn them on top of the burnt offering on the wood burning on the altar. It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
Jesus died as a peace offering to the Lord instead of us. What a great gift it is! what a wonderful grace from God! Therefore, we don't need to bring any burnt offering on the altar. It is…