 |
|
An
Outreach Publication of the Church of Christ at
Creekwood |
|
Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered. The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled. As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd. A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner. The man with the vision uncovered the second painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace? A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice; the crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power. A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil. * Jesus said to His disciples: "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). Jesus contrasted the peace that He gives with the peace that the world offers. What kind of peace does the world have to offer? At best, it is the absence of conflict. Unfortunately, as the history of civilization and current events reveal, this peace is always temporary and uncertain. However,
the peace that Jesus gives is not based upon
CIRCUMSTANCES, When we submit to Christ in: faith (Acts 16:30-31), repentance (2 Peter 3:9), confession (Romans 10:9-10) and baptism (Acts 22:16), we begin a relationship with Christ as a child of God. ONLY through Jesus, can we have peace with God (Romans 5:1), with others (Romans 14:19), and with ourselves (Philippians 4:6-7). Peace in the midst of the storm: THIS is the perfect picture of peace, and this is the kind of peace that is found in Christ! YOU can have THIS peace if you will trust and obey Him. Won’t you? -- David A. Sargent, Minister Church
of Christ at Creekwood * A Wardrobe from the King, Berit Kjos, pp. 45-46 To Subscribe to "Living Water" send a blank e-mail to:
HTML version: subscribe-livingwater@lyris.dundee.net Follow this link to locate the church of Christ nearest you: www.churchzip.com Archived issues of "Living Water" can be accessed from our website at: www.creekwoodcc.org
|