24 MAY
And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our
land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him
seven shepherds, and eight principal men. Micah 5:5
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Isaiah
9:1-7
How can we venture to believe the
promise that in times of trouble, eventually all will be quiet and secure? Micah
assures us, “this man” shall be our peace. We should thus be satisfied with the
protection of the king whom God the Father gives us. Let the shadow of that
king suffice us, for we shall be safe enough from all trouble.
We now see in what sense the
prophet calls Christ the peace of His people, or of His church. God calls Christ
His peace because He will drive far away all hurtful things. He will be armed
with strength and invincible power to check all the ungodly, that they may not
make war on the children of God or prevent them in their course, if they would
cause any disturbances.
Christ is our peace in another
way; for He reconciles us to the Father. What would it serve us to be safe from
earthly annoyances if we were not certain of being reconciled with God? Unless
our minds are sure of the paternal benevolence of God, we must necessarily
tremble at all times, even if no one causes us any trouble. Even if all men
were our friends and applauded us, our condition would still be miserable. We
would surely struggle with restlessness unless our consciences were pacified
with the sure confidence that God is our Father.
Christ can be our peace in no
other way than by reconciling God to us. At the same time, the prophet promises
that we shall lie safely under the shadow of Christ, so that we fear no evil.
For though Satan furiously assails us, and the whole world becomes angry with
us, we shall fear nothing if Christ keeps and protects us under His wings.
John Calvin
FOR MEDITATION:
The only real hope for peace in
our world is for men and women to find peace with God. If the human race were
to turn to Christ, we would soon find our world full of peace. Let us pray,
then, for the Prince of Peace to reign in our world.
365 Days With Calvin
Selected and Edited by Joel R.
Beeke
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