.gif)
Bible Verse Of The Day: The Peace And Righteousness Of Jesus Are Foretold By The Prophet Isaiah
Woman details miraculous healing in Harris Faulkner's 'Faith Still Moves Mountains'
SHARE
SHARE
TWEET
SHARE
Click to expand
UP NEXT
"For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore" (Isaiah 2:3b-4).
In these Old Testament verses (half of Isaiah 2:3; all of Isaiah 2:4), the prophet Isaiah talks about the peace that God can weave among people who are at war with one another.
These are lessons we can use in our divided society today, faith leaders say.
BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: OUR SUFFERINGS STRENGTHEN US, BRING US ‘GREAT BLESSINGS’
Chapter 2 of Isaiah as a whole contains a vision or foretelling of "the enlargement of Christ's kingdom and interest" — as well as "the glory of his church in the latter day," Biblestudytools.Com notes.
Verses 1-9, specifically, share the "calling of the Gentiles, the spread of the gospel and that far more extensive preaching of it yet to come" with Jesus Christ, the same site notes.
© iStock Chapter 2 of Isaiah as a whole contains a vision of Christ's kingdom as well as "the glory of his church." iStockREAD ON THE FOX NEWS APP
It is important to see that this is not the "peace of surrender," says Enduringword.Com, but instead, the peace of "enforced righteousness."
BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: DECISIONS WE MAKE IN LIFE BRING ‘BLESSINGS AND CURSES,’ SO CHOOSE WISELY
That sites also points out, "There would be no more war, and no more need for swords and spears, so it made sense to make them into plowshares and pruning hooks. But there will be no more war because there will be a new ruler on earth, Jesus Christ."
© iStock In these passages, God is the source of good will among those who used to fight, according to a faith leader in South Carolina. IStockIn these specific passages, God is judge and arbiter — and the source of peace and good will among those who used to fight one another.
That's according to Fr. Jeffrey Kirby, pastor of Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in Indian Land, South Carolina.
KIDS NEED PRAYERS! THESE FAITHFUL DEVOTIONS MAY HELP BLESS OUR CHILDREN
"The prophet Isaiah gives a strong account of the work of God among the nations to bring forth peace," he told Fox News Digital.
© iStock Fr. Kirby — extending the message of these Bible verses — prayed for peace to "triumph" in the homes of all. "Calm the tension in our hearts … Let peace be victorious in our world today," he said. "Amen." iStock"Jerusalem serves as a mother to all peoples, and so she will teach and mediate for tranquility among her children," he continued, "even turning weapons of war into instruments of loving service."
Fr. Kirby then offered a prayer for the strife of our present age.
"Almighty Father, we ask you for the gift of peace. Calm the tension in our hearts. Help neighbor to help neighbor. Lead nations to respect and serve one another. Let your peace triumph in our homes. Let peace be victorious in our world today. Amen."
During the Advent season, stay tuned for more Bible verses of the day. To read yesterday's Bible verse, click here.
Why Are We So Cynical About Peace On Earth?
Sometimes it takes new horrors of war to remind us that our world is not a peaceful place. Against the long-standing backdrop of violence in Myanmar, Yemen, Syria, Ethiopia, Somalia, Afghanistan, and beyond, Russia’s aggression in Ukraine took center stage for months this year.
As Christians, we believe the world is supposed to be at peace and that, one day, it will be. When John the Baptist was born and his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied God’s arriving redemption, it culminated with a vision of peace (Luke 1:67–79). Zechariah declared that God “has come to his people and redeemed them” from “living in darkness and in the shadow of death.” He would “guide our feet into the path of peace.”
When shepherds heard of Jesus’ birth soon after, that announcement too came with an invocation of peace. A host of angels glorified God, and out of all the blessings that could be given at Christ’s incarnation, they offered “on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14).
The message God sent to the Jewish people, as the apostle Peter later summarized, was “the good news of peace through Jesus Christ” (Acts 10:36). As Christians, we have a gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15), a Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6), both the peace of God and a God of peace (Phil. 4:7, 9), and a final hope of peace in a renewed world with no more death or crying or pain (Rev. 21:3–4).
That hope is not only for the future. Peace is not only for the eschaton, but that is too often how American evangelicals speak of it.
We tend to talk as if longing for peace and pursuing it is the province of Neville Chamberlain, Jimmy Carter, and John Lennon, a sign of weakness in peaceniks and appeasers who either don’t understand the evil that besets us or have no moral gumption to fight it. I’ve heard “wars and rumors of wars” (Matt. 24:6) invoked to prooftext unrest as normalcy far more often than I’ve encountered confident Christian expectation of God’s peace.
When “the time is right, Jesus will indeed come again, ending all wars,” conceded televangelist Jerry Falwell in his provocative 2004 essay “God is pro-war” that promoted the Iraq War. For now, he said, we “continue to live in violent times.” Falwell argued that the Bible tells us war will be an ongoing reality until the second coming of Christ, and that bearing one another’s burdens means choosing war, not peace.
It seems evangelicals use Chamberlain’s infamous phrase “peace for our time” most often in derision, never sincere hope. We talk about peace at Christmas because it’s there in the text, but we don’t really expect to see it any time soon, and we’d be a bit suspicious if we did.
One reason Chamberlain’s phrase stuck so firmly in the modern mind is its echo of the familiar language of the Church of England’s 1662 Book of Common Prayer. The Order for Morning Prayer, to be said daily throughout the year, links peace with God’s unfolding plan of salvation as inextricably as does the Gospel of Luke.
“O Lord, save thy people,” the celebrant says, “Give peace in our time.” The people respond: “Because there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O God.”
I’ve been thinking of that prayer this fall and Advent season, after a year of headlines dominated by war between two countries where the largest religious groups are professing Christians. (The majority of Ukrainians and Russians—including Russian president Vladimir Putin—identify as Orthodox.)
It’s easy to be cynical about “peace in our time” in a moment like this, or to wave aside Zechariah and the angels’ words as nothing but early notice of a still-distant hope.
The prayer does not take that easy path. It assumes a world like ours, in which peace is sorely needed and in which we are often unable to achieve the peace we seek in our own strength. Yet, for all that realism, the prayer doesn’t consign peace to a perpetual tomorrow and accept war and strife for today. Neither must we.
God has come to his people and redeemed them. He wants to “guide our feet into the path of peace” and is more than able to give peace in our time.
Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here.
Bible Verse Of The Day: Old Testament Scripture Promises Victory And 'hiding Place' With God
"For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory" (Psalm 32:7).
While this verse is comforting, the faithful today know that life is complicated, requiring every ounce of strength, every best effort to navigate through its challenges and difficulties. How are mere humans to feel positive, let alone victorious, when the going gets tough?
To more fully understand this Bible verse and its promises, it's necessary to understand the author of this verse — David — and who he really was.
BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: KEY QUESTION IS, DO WE TRUST IN OURSELVES OR IN GOD?
David is one of the most referenced people in the Bible, with 66 chapters dedicated to him, according to Biblestudytools.Com.
"David is a young shepherd who earns recognition initially as a musician and later by defeating the gigantic champion, Goliath," according to scripture, the same website also says.
Scripture details David's adventure-filled life; he started out as a shepherd and became a king, according to Biblestudytools.Org.
READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP
King Saul, and a friend of Saul's son, Jonathan, "begin to favor David" — but Saul turns on David after becoming troubled that he is seeking the throne.
BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: THE PEACE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS OF JESUS ARE FORETOLD BY THE PROPHET ISAIAH
After Saul and Jonathan are killed in battle, David is chosen as the new king.
"David then captures Jerusalem, bringing the Ark of the Covenant into the city, and securing the kingdom founded by Saul," says Biblestudytools.Org.
David was human and far from perfect, yet still God watched over him.
Pastor Bradley of Seattle encourages people today to ponder, "How has God intervened in your life with his power, goodness and grace?"
"David engages in adultery with Bathsheba, driving him to order the death of her husband Uriah the Hittite," Biblestudytools.Org adds.
BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: OUR SUFFERINGS STRENGTHEN US, BRING US ‘GREAT BLESSINGS’
David escapes Jerusalem during the revolt of his third son, Absalom — but after Absalom's death, he returns to rule Israel.
While these are only snapshots from David's long and adventurous life, they illustrate God's unwavering protection and care, says one American faith leader.
Story continues
While King Saul repeatedly tried to kill David, "God repeatedly protected David," Jesse Bradley, pastor of Grace Community Church in Seattle, Washington, told Fox News Digital via email.
ACTOR AND WRITER KIRK CAMERON DEFENDS FAITH, FAMILY AND GOD IN NEW KIDS' BOOK
"Foreign armies attacked David, but God provided safety again and again," he added.
Goliath tried to "intimidate and destroy David," noted the pastor, but God "brought a victory in that legendary battle."
"You can always turn to God," said Pastor Jesse Bradley of Grace Community Church in Seattle, Washington.
Pastor Bradley encourages people today to ponder, "How has God intervened in your life with his power, goodness and grace?"
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
He said, "You can always turn to God. I was a professional soccer player until an illness ended my career. I was fighting for my life for a year, and it took 10 years to fully recover."
During this "tragedy," said Bradley, "I learned how to seek God, pour out my heart to God and give him my burdens."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
He continued, "The God of all comfort is with you. The lifter of your head is eager to listen. God is an ever-present help in trouble, and he will never leave you nor forsake you."
.gif)
.gif)
.gif)
