Church is not a place you go. It’s a family you belong to, a group you’re a part of, an organism more than an organization.  Yet the church exists in time and space. While it’s more than an address, it’s a place you can call home, nonetheless. It’s both a space you call home and a place you come home to.
 
With 2020 Vision we see Montrose as a place of BELIEVING, BELONGING, & BECOMING. We desire to see lost sons and daughters running into the arms of the Father. We yearn to hear the once-upon-a-time lonely tell of how they found a forever family. Our hearts skip as we feel the palpable relief of the questioner who has searched for truth and meaning and purpose only to be found by Jesus. All heaven rejoices when the lost are found, when the lonely find family, when the longing find purpose.
 
So won’t you continue along with me in this Jesus way? I’m excited for the future of our church family not because I know what tomorrow holds but because I know Who holds tomorrow. Our vision for the coming year is to see the love of Christ FILL our hearts, OVERFLOW into our relationships, and FLOOD the darkness of the world around us. 
 
Our mission remains simple: KNOWING GOD, GROWING IN CHRIST, & GOING WITH THE SPIRIT. We know God through personal devotions and church worship services. We grow in Christ through prayer partnerships and small groups. We go with the Spirit in personal evangelism and organized outreach.
 
Jesus calls us to walk in love. Let’s LIVE OUR VALUES EVERYDAY: Loving God by practicing the priority of prayer, lifting high our praises and looking deeply into God’s Word; Loving people by opening our hearts to the fellowship of believers and opening our hands to the world around us. 
 
We are a unique body of believers. It’s true! Why deny it? Why run from it? Let’s embrace our quirks. Just like every church family, we’re special, and God is doing something special in our midst. By God’s grace our candle still shines in the darkness. His worship is our purpose, and His Word lights each step of our way. What opportunities and challenges will we encounter along the path in 2020? Only God knows, but He’s given us all we need for life and godliness. His grace is our supply, and His Spirit is our guide. 
 
Your Pastor & Brother in Christ, 
​Jason

​February 2, 2020

Luke chapters 15-19 can be thought of as Jesus’ “Good News for Outcasts and Outsiders.”  In these chapters we begin to see the world through the eyes of the Savior, and as we do we begin to see Jesus’ Vision for The Local Church: A “Place” (people, gathering, assembly, family, body) where…
 
1. …the Lost are Found.
2. …the Lonely Find Family.
3. …the Longing Find Purpose.
 
GOT PURPOSE?
 
How often do you contemplate that thought?  You might think of it as destiny or calling or your reason for existence.  Thoughts of purpose lead us to the big and important questions.
         
Is there a purpose?
What is my purpose?
Am I fulfilling my purpose?
 
Unanswered questions of purpose can become an overwhelming longing of the soul, an impossible to tune out yearning of the heart, an ever-whispering buzzing in the ears of our psyche.
 
These are the big questions of life, aren’t they?  It takes a brave soul to contemplate ultimate questions.  It also takes a strong soul, for questions of purpose have driven some to the mental brink and even over the edge into breakdown and worse.
 
The simple fact is, we humans need to know our purpose.  We need to know why we’re on this road of life, where we’re supposed to go, how we’re supposed to get there and how to know when we’ve actually arrived.  At one horrific concentration camp in Greece, Nazi officials devised a demoralizing experiment with meaningless toil and hard labor.  On pain of execution inmates were ordered to dig holes and then fill them in, to build walls and then tear them down.  The labor was not intended for any productive purpose.  The whole sadistic point was to break the prisoners’ morale. 

​
LUKE 18:18-30 - THE RICH YOUNG RULER
 
In Jesus’ encounter with the Rich Young Ruler (Luke 18:18-30; cf. Matthew 19:16-30; Mark 10:17-31) we learn the sad story of a man who had everything except the one thing that matters most.  Running up to Jesus and falling at His feet he asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  While he had it all – from affluence to influence – this rich young man realized that even the surest investments mean nothing when your number’s up.  His question was honest and earnest, but in the end, Jesus revealed the true heart of his struggle.  Riches and wealth were his true gods.  His hands were full.  He had no room for Jesus.  He might have been invited to every party on earth, but in terms of the Kingdom of God, he was stuck on the outside looking in.
 
When Jesus told him to sell everything, give it to the poor, then come follow Him, the young man went away sad.  Even for heavenly riches, this poor guy couldn’t part with earthly comforts and transient security.  Jesus responded, "How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!  For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."  Aren’t you glad what is impossible for man is possible for God?
 
 
WHOM DO YOU TRUST?
 
Be we rich or poor, the story of this sad young man illustrates what is true of each one of us.  We struggle to trust God because we really trust only in ourselves.  Consider these degrees of self-trust and ask yourself which response best describes you:
 
Degrees of Self-Trust:
“I’m not perfect, but I’m a good person.”
“I’m more good than bad.” ("I'll tip the balance in my favor.")
“I’m better than most.”
“I’m not the worst person I know.”
“At least I’m better than [really terrible person like Hitler or Stalin].”
“I’m not good at all. Only God is truly good, I trust wholly in Him.”
 
 
WHERE IS YOUR TREASURE?
 
Whether we possess a lot or a little, we all have thoughts of the future.  How are you investing your wealth?  Where is your treasure?  And what will become of your investment strategy when your number is up? The rich young ruler illustrates how sometimes good things can become ultimate things.  Blessings from God can become burdens keeping us from God.
 
 
IS JESUS REALLY BETTER?
 
The rich young man went away from Jesus spiritually poor and destitute because Jesus was not enough.  He judged the things of this world to be better than the storehouses of heaven that are hidden in Christ and accessible for His co-heirs.  Nothing in this world can compare with Jesus. 
 
Jesus Is…
Better (Hebrews 7:22; 12:24).
Purer (Colossians 2:17; 1 John 3:1-3).
Surer (Hebrews 6:17-20).
 
 
ONE THING
 
The rich young ruler lacked the one thing that mattered most.  His “one thing” (worldly wealth) kept him from the best thing (heavenly treasure).  His investment strategy was stupid.  Like the rich fool of Luke 12:13-21, the rich young ruler apparently forgot that he was going to die.  He was asking the right question, but he wasn’t open to the answer.
 
What’s Your “One Thing”? Have you left everything to follow Jesus?  What’s holding you back? 
 
What do you value more than Jesus?  What’s the one thing you would never give up for Him?  You say, “Jesus, you can have it all, but you can’t have this.” “You can’t take this.”  “Hands off, Jesus!”  What one thing do you lack?  You may call yourself a Christian, but who's really sitting upon the throne of your heart?
 
 
TRUE TREASURE
 
Check out Scriptures like Matthew 6:19-21 and 2 Corinthians 4:18 and 5:7.  Don’t be like our Rich Young Ruler.  Don’t go away from Jesus sad. 

Make Jesus your treasure, and you’ll have eternal treasure in heaven.  Give Jesus your heart, and your heart will forever be with Him.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Maybe you're like me and you sometimes feel like you just don't fit in. Like in the 1964 holiday classic "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," perhaps you can relate to Rudolph with his red nose or the little North Pole elf who would rather fix teeth than tinker with toys.  Maybe you feel like you’re living with King Moonracer (the winged lion) on the Island of Misfit Toys, just wishing you could fit in somewhere.  You remember those misfit toys, right?  .

• A Charlie-in-the-Box.
• A spotted elephant.
• A train with square wheels on his caboose.
• A water pistol that squirts jelly.
• A bird that swims.
• A cowboy who rides an ostrich.

The fact of the matter is, there are times when we all feel rather like one of those poor toys, like we just don’t fit it.  Everyone else gets an invitation except for us.  We feel like we’re always on the outside looking in.  We wonder if we’ll ever find a place where we fit in.

I'm thankful that in this lonely world of misfits, God’s Word proclaims a wonderful truth.  There is a place where misfits fit in.  It’s not an island of toys ruled by a winged lion. It’s a body of believers joined together and governed by King Jesus Himself.

In Luke chapters 15-19 King Jesus proclaims good news for outsiders.  In this "Gospel for Outcasts and Misfits" we begin to see the world through the eyes of the Savior, and as we do we begin to see Jesus’ vision for the local church.  He wants His church to be a place, a people, where the lost are found, where the lonely find family, and where the longing find purpose.

You may feel like a lost toy on a lonely island of misfits, but King Jesus invites you to humbly accept His invitation to a place where misfits fit in, a place where the lost are found and the lonely find a family.  Of course, it's not really a place or a space so much as a family gathering to worship the Father through faith in the Son by the power of the Holy Spirit.  In this Kingdom King Jesus Himself welcomes the diseased and makes them well (Luke 17:11-19); He welcomes the disabled and makes them whole (Luke 18:35-43); He welcomes the despised and makes them worthy (Luke 19:1-10; 18:9-14); He welcomes the distractions and makes them winsome examples of those who possess the kind of faith that gains entrance into and possession of the very Kingdom of God itself (Luke 18:15-17).

So what will do with the invitation of Jesus? Will you open the door when he knocks?  Will you invite others to come in?  Will you remove the obstacles in their way? Will you open the door and let them in? Will you make them feel welcome? Will you include them? 

You may feel like a lost toy on a lonely island of misfits, but King Jesus invites you to humbly accept His invitation to a place where misfits fit in, a place where the lost are found and the lonely find a family.  And once you’ve found this special place, King Jesus wants you to throw wide the door and invite everyone in!

If you're praying for a lost friend or loved one to be found, or if you're actively inviting a lonely soul to the family of God, please let me know so I can join you in prayer.  Jesus said, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him."  Salvation is entirely the work of God, which means prayer must always be our very first priority.

Blessings of Grace & Peace,
Jason Platt
pastorjasonplatt@gmail.com 

Today I was invited by Self to a party - a pity party thrown in celebration of a pair of perceived injustices. I unwittingly accepted.

​Before I knew it, I found myself seated at the Table of Trifling, Pride on my right and Vanity on my left. Both went on and on about "no good deed going unpunished" and "no one really understands what it's like." We reveled in our hurt and toasted to our pain.

Then I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder, a whisper in my ear. To the chagrin of Pride and Vanity, Self was led by the Spirit to a side room, where a Bible lay open to Psalm 110, another to 1 Peter 2:21-25. There I read of Jesus Messiah: Conquering King, Presiding Priest, Suffering Savior, Shepherd of Souls.

"He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed" (1 Peter 2:22-24).

Pity Party Cancelled.

Let Pride and Vanity revel in their misery.

Christ has set me free.

I answered the phone and was not surprised to hear what for some might sound surprising:

"HAPPY SPIRITUAL BIRTHDAY!"  

It was February 7, and the voice on the other end of the line was that of mom.  She was calling to rejoice with me in the memory of a day early in my childhood, the day I knelt in prayer upon the green carpet beside the gold colored couch in our little living room.  Thanking Jesus for dying on the cross for my sin, I asked Him to come into my heart and be my Savior.  We celebrated afterward with heart-shaped Valentine's Day cookies!  

Every year on February 7, I remember the day that God drew me near, revealed my need for salvation, and opened my heart to receive Jesus as my Savior. Every day is a new experience of His love, and every day I grow in my love for the One who first loved me.

Following Jesus is a journey of joy. There are costs to be counted, but they are nothing compared to what is and is yet to be. So on February 7 (and every day), I smile at yesterday, rejoice in today, and laugh at tomorrow. For Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever!

So what about you?  Jesus said, "You must be born again" (John 3:7).  If you're reading this, you've experienced natural birth, but what about spiritual rebirth?  Do you know what it means to be born of the Spirit?  

"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,  who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God."
- John 1:12

Happy Birthday to you!
Some people have two.
Born again means salvation.
How many have you?

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for my sin.  I believe that you conquered death and rose from the grave.  Please forgive my sin.  Come into my life and lead me.  In Your Name I pray, Amen. 

The play of the wind upon the surface of the water cannot alter the plan of the Creator.

"There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.   God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.  The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.  The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah" - Psalm 46:4-7 
 

UNPLUGGING TO RESET

Sometimes you’ve just got to get away.
 
Sometimes you’ve just got to leave behind the sights and sounds of city life and get away.  You’ve got to trade congested streets for lonely hiking trails, beeping horns for honking geese, nighttime sirens and train whistles for chirping crickets and croaking frogs.  You’ve got to trade the smog and pollution of the concrete jungle and breathe in deep the crisp, cool air of the Northern woods.
 
Sometimes you’ve just got to get away…not by yourself, but with your Creator God. 
 
This summer my daughter Karli and I had the opportunity to do just that.  Along with two other dads and daughters, we departed early Sunday morning to begin the 450 mile trek to Willow Creek’s Camp Paradise in Michigan’s beautiful and wild Upper Peninsula.
 
Our time together created memories we will never, ever forget.  Getting away carved out room for us to grow – closer together as dads and daughters and closer to God as our Heavenly Father.  I will always cherish the memories of that wonderful time on the beautiful shores of the Tahquamenon River.
 
Sometimes you’ve just got to get away.
 
At regular intervals in the pilgrimage of life, we all need to reset, recharge, refocus, and recalibrate.  In order to do so, we must discipline ourselves to regularly power down, unplug, step back, and sit at Jesus’s feet, choosing what is better and knowing that it will never be taken away from us (see Luke 10:38-42).
 
When we get away and spend time with God, we…
 
…Power down to reset.
 
…Unplug to recharge.
 
…Step back to refocus.
 
…Sit at Jesus’s feet to recalibrate.

 
A BETTER PERSPECTIVE

Let’s step away for a moment right now.  Come sit in my chair next to the whispering white pine on the shores of the Tahquamenon.  Listen for the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit as He speaks through His Word.  “You never know how God might whisper when you carve out space to step away.”[1]  God indeed whispered to my soul as I sat in natural solitude, meditating upon the slow flow of the Tahquamenon River and the play of the wind upon its surface.  

Proverbs 21:1 reminds us that "the king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will."  The stream of water described in this verse is “water flowing through a manmade channel or irrigation ditch, which a skillful farmer can turn to flow wherever he wishes.”[2]  The idea is that the Lord God is a much higher judge than the king, whom He controls.  In the end, God always gets the final word, and His word is just and righteous.
 
Even when the world seems upside down and inside out, God is sovereign.  God is in control. 

Even when world leaders, presidential candidates, Supreme Court justices, political pundits, and local politicians seem to be guided by the evil trifecta of Satan, sin, and self, God’s purpose and plan remain ever sure.  Civil engineers may have figured out how to reverse the flow of the Chicago River, but God’s course cannot be thwarted.  The flow of His Story can never be reversed.  Evil may seem strong, but it will not win.  For "the LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble" (Proverbs 16:4).  From beginning to end, God’s purpose will not fail.  God’s plan will not falter.
 
The play of the wind upon the surface of the water cannot alter the plan of the Creator.
 
Allow me to illustrate.  Each day at Camp Paradise begins with breakfast at 8:30 AM.  Prior to breakfast, Dads and Daughters enjoy quite time with God and with each other.  The waterfront area opens at 7:00 AM for Dads and Daughters to canoe, kayak, or ride water bikes on the Tahquamenon River.  On our first full day of camp, Karli and I chose to ride a tandem water bike together.  Now, being very practical and having a little experience, I checked with the staff member as to which way the current flows in the river, the idea being that you always want to start paddling (or in our case peddling!) against the current, so that when arms and legs are tired on the return trip, the current will help you home.
 
Glancing out at the water from the perspective of the camp, the river seemed to be flowing toward the south.  A stiff breeze was blowing, and the water appeared to be flowing quickly in a southward direction.  Good thing I checked in with an experienced river guide, because I was wrong.  The wind was blowing the surface waters of the river in a southward direction, but the deep and powerful current of the river flows ever northward, just as its Creator planned from the very beginning.
 
Going against the visual evidence of the surface waters, we trusted the experienced river guide and started out toward the South.  Sure enough, when it came time to turn around and head home, the deep currents of the river helped push us in the right direction, even against a stiff wind!  Both Karli and I looked at each other and commented how much easier it was to paddle (or in our case peddle!) with the current rather than against it.  Even in the face of a stiff wind, even though the surface waters were flowing quickly South, the deep currents were leading ever North.  I’m glad we checked with an experienced river guide before setting out.  It made the trip home much easier and much more enjoyable.
 
The next day, I found myself sitting in my special chair next to the whispering white pine on the shores of the Tahquamenon.  I was studying my Bible, listening for the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit as he speaks through His Word.  Suddenly, in the quietness of that special place, the enormous white pine caught the wind, as it always did, about five seconds before the smaller trees around it.  As the whispering wind blew, I glanced up from my Bible to gaze upon the glistening river below.
 
It was then that God brought the analogy home to my heart:  Surface Waters & Deep Currents…
The play of the wind upon the surface of the water cannot alter the plan of the Creator.
 
From the vantage point of the camp, the wind was blowing the surface water south, against the northerly course designed by the Creator.  But the deep currents were ultimately driving the river north, exactly as God had designed.
 
Are you starting to get the idea?  Presidents and politicians and pundits may seem to be taking us further and further upstream from God’s purposes and plans, but they are nothing more than wind playing upon the surface of the water.  From beginning to end, History is moving in God’s direction.  No matter how powerful, no country, no terrorist organization, no political movement, not even Satan himself can alter the deep currents of God’s eternal purpose and plan.
 
Truth be told, I’m growing more and more tired of the hopeless hand-wringing that occupies the time of so many professing Christians.  It seems as if some truly believe God has lost control of the present situation in our world today.  Of course, it is right to be concerned about present circumstances.  It is right to mourn the moral decline of our country.  It is right to decry injustice and cry out for God to intervene.  But let us never forget: our hope is secure.  Let the wind blow where it will, our God is in control.
 
"There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.   God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.  The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.  The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah" (Psalm 46:4-7).  "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10:23).
 

TAKING IT HOME 

Think about your personal life and circumstances for a moment.
 
How is the wind playing upon the surface of the waters in your own life?
 
          a)      Home Life: Marriage, Kids, Finances
 
          b)      Work Life: Security, Boss, Conflict
 
          c)       Health: Aging, Diagnosis, Insurance, Medical Bills
 
          d)      World: Violence, Terrorism, Persecution
 
How can you learn to grow in trusting God and the deep currents of His abiding purpose
and eternal plan?  Have you fallen victim to the rampant spirit of fear that so grips people
today?  Have you fallen prey to hopeless hand-wringing in the face of all that’s going wrong with
the world?  

"God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control" (2 Timothy 1:7).  "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).
 
Remember, no matter how the surface winds blow, God’s purpose for History and His plan for you remain unaltered, unhindered, and unchanged.  The play of the wind upon the surface of the water cannot alter the purpose and plan of the Creator.  This is true of our personal lives and this is true of the broader course of history.  So let’s stop wringing hands in hopeless desperation and start folding hands in hope-filled prayer. 

No one and nothing can alter the purpose and plan of the Creator.
 
Psalm 46:1-11  God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,  3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah  4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.  5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.  6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.  7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah  8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth.  9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire.  10 "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"  11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Romans 8:28-31   28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.  29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.  30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.  31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?


[1] Camp Paradise 2016 Guidebook

[2] ESV Study Bible

“God is faithful.”

When my best friend and love of my life marched down the aisle at Fellowship Bible Church in Roswell, Georgia, the entire congregation rose to their feet as the pianist played Great Is Thy Faithfulness.  A good friend had written a special arrangement just for the occasion of our wedding.  Tears ran down my face as Tanya walked toward me arm in arm with her father.  The words of the familiar hymn echoed the goodness of God:

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee,
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not,
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.[1]

“God is faithful.”[2] 

No matter what you’re going through, God is there.  Eternally unchanging and forever reliable, He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.[3]  In moments of celebration, He celebrates with you.[4]  In the midst of the storm, He is a shelter.[5]  When you weep, He dries your tears.[6]  When you are scared, He holds you close.[7]  God is our refuge and our strength, an ever present help in time of trouble.[8]    

Yet we struggle.  Jesus didn’t promise His followers a life free from difficulty.  In fact, He promised us trouble.  He said, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).  Even in this trouble filled world, in Christ we have peace.

“God is faithful.”  This is the truth to which we cling in time of trial.  When the winds of testing blow strong, God’s faithfulness is the solid rock upon which we firmly take our stand.  The faithful promise of His presence provides strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.   

In Strength for the Journey, Joseph M. Stowell writes, “Since we rarely know why trouble comes or what God is doing in and through our pain, it is important to have something solid and true to which we can attach our faith.”[9]  When trouble comes, faith holds fast to God’s promises, finds comfort in God’s ways, stands firm upon God’s character. 

In the uncertainty of trial, we may feel as if hanging by a thread, one big wave from being swept away, one strong gust from being caught up into the vortex of the storm.  But faith clings to the hand of God, for faith is a gift from God whereby it is He who clings to us. 

When we can’t seem to get a grip, we can give thanks that we’re held firmly in His grasp.  No one and nothing can remove our hand from His.[10]  No one and nothing can separate us from Him.[11] 

O God, our help in ages past, 
Our hope for years to come, 
Our shelter from the stormy blast, 
And our eternal home.[12]

-----------------------

[1]Great Is Thy Faithfulness. Thomas Obediah Chisholm (1866-1960).
[2] This is the Apostle Paul’s reminder to the church in Corinth.  Paul issued pointed warnings from Israel’s history (God’s judgment upon idolatry and immorality), then he stated, "Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.  Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.  No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it" (1 Corinthians 10:11-13).  The word for “temptation” and “tempted” in 1 Corinthians 10:13 is the same word (peirasmós) generally translated “test” in verse 9 (cf. James 1:2, 12).  Depending on the context, the word can refer to trials, tests, and temptations.  God cannot be tempted, but His people can put Him to the test; God does not tempt His people, but He does test them.  The definitions of “tempt” and “test” are different both in source and in nature, but the results of our response to each are much the same.  And in both, God is faithfully present.  His grace is sufficient, for His power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). 
[3] Deuteronomy 33:27; Hebrews 13:8.
[4] Luke 15:32.
[5] Isaiah 4:6; 25:4.
[6] Psalm 6:8; 30:5b; Matthew 5:4; Revelation 21:4
[7] Joshua 1:5, 9.
[8] Psalm 46:1
[9] Stowell, Joseph M. Strength for the Journey: Day by Day with Jesus (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 2002), 186.
[10] John 10:28-30.
[11] Romans 8:38-39.
[12] O God Our Help in Ages Past, Isaac Watts (1719). 

“True peace dwells only in the heart of the humble.” - Thomas à Kempis
 
Have you ever labored long and hard over a puzzle, only to discover near completion that you were missing a piece?  The overall picture has come together beautifully, but as you look at the fruit of your labors, your attention is drawn immediately to the one piece of peculiarity.  Its absence screams for your attention.  A puzzle of a thousand pieces can be ruined by one missing piece.
 
So it is with life.  We lead very full lives, yet something is missing.
 
PEACE  
 
Peace.  Say the word out loud.  Seriously, say it.  “Peace.”  Doesn’t it sound good?  Doesn’t it sound refreshing?  Repeat the word in your mind.  Peace.  Doesn’t it feel good?  Doesn’t it feel like exactly what you need?  We could all use a little more peace in our lives, couldn’t we?
 
Even warriors desire peace.  We all desire peace.  We just have a difficult time finding it.  Perhaps we struggle to even define it, but we all know when peace is missing.  We know we need it, but how do we get it?  How can we find the missing peace?  How can we truly experience peace?
 
We tend to think of peace as an absence of conflict.  If we end all wars, put a stop to violence, and keep people from hate, then the peace will be won.  Conflict cessation may be a form of keeping the peace, but don’t we desire more? 
 
SHALOM

The Hebrew Scriptures speak of peace as shalom – a rich word pregnant with meaning.  It can refer to prosperity and success, completeness and intactness, personal welfare and health, deliverance and salvation, and, of course, the absence of conflict and war.  It is healing.  It is wholeness in place of brokenness. It is the one true God picking up the shattered pieces of wrecked humanity and forming out of them something beautiful, something whole.
 
The New Testament speaks of peace as eiréné (i-ray'-nay).  It can refer to peace, harmony, and concord between governments and individuals.  As it corresponds to the Hebrew shalom, it carries forward the ideas of personal wellbeing and welfare.  Most significantly, peace with God refers to a right relationship with God, the hope of eternal life and the assurance of eternal salvation.  The gracious bestowal of peace with God can be personally experienced only through faith in Jesus Christ as sufficient Savior and risen Lord (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Hell cancelled, Heaven guaranteed – that is the confidence of all who have peace with God through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). 
 
Further, the reality of peace with God brings to present experience the shalom of God, whereby the Divine Potter picks up the broken pieces of our lives and makes out of them something useful, something beautiful, something glorious.  “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
 
Therein lies the rub.  Perhaps, like me, you know the confidence of forgiveness and the assurance of salvation.  You’ve experienced moments of peace, but they are fleeting.  As Christians, how can we who know the reality of peace with God experientially enjoy the peace of God?   
 
EXPERIENCING PEACE

We know certain practices lead to peace.  Prayer comes first to mind.  God could not be more unambiguous than He is in Ephesians 4:6-7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Are you anxious?  Pray.  Worried?  Give thanks.  When you do, God promises to replace anxiety with peace.  Like a sentinel keeping watch over sleeping soldiers, God's peace will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus so that you can rest in Him.
 
Likewise, in the search for peace, the daily practice of forgiveness is a given.  So also is kindness.  “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).  Of course, experiencing peace in our personal relationships does not depend entirely on us.  After all it takes two to get tangled.  That’s why, in one of the most qualified commands in all of Scripture, the Apostle reminds us, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:18).
 
This much we know.  But in our quest for peace, we have neglected the one practice, the one attitude that lies at the very heart of our pursuit.  Both the living experience of the peace of God and the daily enjoyment of peace with our fellows hinge upon one thing:  The “Secret” Simplicity of Humility.
 
THE "SECRET" SIMPLICITY OF HUMILITY
 
The ancient fathers of our faith and the devotional writers of the Christian era all attest to a simple secret:  Those who experience peace are those who embrace humility. 

I like to define humility as seeing ourselves as God sees us – nothing more and nothing less.  We are created in God’s image.  We are sinners saved by divine grace.  We are new creations in Christ Jesus.  We are temples of the Holy Spirit.  we are completely dependent upon our Father in Heaven.  That’s why we sing, “I need Thee every hour,” and “Prone to wander – Lord, I feel it.”  Humility is a sober self-assessment.  It is seeing ourselves as God sees us, but there is more.
 
Jesus is the ultimate example of humility.  The humiliation of the cross and the exaltation of the crown set the pattern for every Christ-follower (Philippians 2:5-11).  He who was rich for our sake became poor, so that we by His poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).  Humility is doing nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  It is prioritizing others above ourselves.  It is considering not only our own interests, but also the interests of others.  It is possessing the attitude of Christ (Philippians 2:1-5). 
 
If humility is the secret of peace, then pride is the thief.  In his inspiring devotional masterpiece The Imitation of Christ, Thomas à Kempis writes, “True peace dwells only in the heart of the humble; but the heart of the proud is ever full of pride and jealousy.”[1] 
 
Pride keeps us from prayer.  Pride keeps us from seeking forgiveness from those we have hurt.  It prevents us from offering forgiveness to those who have harmed us.  It is pride that keeps us awake with memories of unfair attacks, unjust words, and thoughts of “If I had only said this or if only I had done that.”  The truly humble do not concern themselves with being misheard, misunderstood or misrepresented. 
 
Slights and tones and sideways glances and dirty looks stick to the heart of pride.  They slide right off the humble.  The humble heart heeds neither disparaging remark nor unjust evaluation. 

Pride plans revenge.  Humility moves along.  The humble leave vengeance in the hands of the Gracious Avenger, confident that He will repay, thankful that He is merciful and forgiving.  The humble respond to attacks by praying for repentance and offering forgiveness.  They offer the benefit of the doubt, refusing to judge motives, remembering, “There - but by the grace of God - go I.”   This is the secret simplicity of humility – the key to discovering the missing peace.
 
The proverb rightly asserts, “A man's riches may ransom his life, but a poor man hears no threat” (Proverbs 13:8).  Like the pursuit of riches, pride brings complex rewards.  Humility, like contentment, brings the reward of simplicity.  The humble are the poor in spirit.  They possess the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:3).  They know the peace of God.
 
"Do not trust in your own knowledge, nor in the cleverness of any man living, but rather in the grace of God, who aids the humble, and humbles the proud.  Do not boast in your possessions, if you have any, nor of the influence of your friends; but glory in God, who gives all things and desires above all things to give you Himself… Remain humble.  It does you no harm when you esteem all others better than yourself, but it does you great harm when you esteem yourself above others."[2]
 
True peace dwells only in the heart of the humble.  This is the “secret” simplicity of humility. 


[1] A Kempis, Thomas; translated by Leo Sherley-Price (New York, NY: Penguin Books, 1952), 35. 

[2] Ibid., 34, 35.