Wisdom - Joy Comes From Peace
but joy belongs to those who advise peace."
Proverbs 12:20
[This is the 12th message in this series]
In this series we are highlighting two-liner verses from the Book of Proverbs.
Plotting Evil
Most people do not just start planning to do evil. Some of them got swept into it or most evolved into someone who takes delight in it.
Spawn
Now people who do plot evil, normally wouldn't look anything like we watch in the movies. They wouldn't look like someone wearing an all black or scary outfit or are all tattoed up or have some other menacing appearance.
Sometimes they would look and sound like anyone else, like a nicely dressed gentleman or a nice looking grandma.
But appearances aside, someone who is plotting evil always will be giving birth to deceit -- concealing or misrepresenting the truth.
Peace
On the other hand, those who advocate for peace or promote love, unity, camaraderie and solidarity has joy as their offspring.
Joy is not happiness. The kind of joy that comes from natural peacemakers are not from this world or are fleeting or fickle minded or merely from happy moments.
[When we are happy, it doesn't necessarily mean we have joy, or peace or the Spirit of God. Peace, joy and the love of God are present even in the midst of unhappy moments]
Joy
This kind of joy solely comes from the Spirit of God.
Anyone not promoting peace (especially within the Body of Christ) and does not know real joy, would be a stranger to the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Christ).
Jesus told His closest followers before going to the cross:
"Peace, my peace I give you."
In another translation:
"I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give. It isn’t like the peace that this world can give. So don’t be worried or afraid."
Jesus knew of His followers' fears and anxieties, they were human just like the rest of us.
Anyone not promoting peace (especially within the Body of Christ) and does not know real joy, would be a stranger to the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Christ).
Jesus told His closest followers before going to the cross:
"Peace, my peace I give you."
In another translation:
"I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give. It isn’t like the peace that this world can give. So don’t be worried or afraid."
Jesus knew of His followers' fears and anxieties, they were human just like the rest of us.
And so Jesus also said to them:
"I have told you these things while I am still with you. But the Holy Spirit will come and help you, because the Father will send the Spirit to take my place. The Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of what I said while I was with you."
We too do not have to worry about our own fears and anxieties. When peace first reigns in our heart, the peace of Christ, and when we advocate for this kind of peace, the Holy Spirit is there with us, in us and for us and nothing else matters. There is peace in the midst of anything.
Without peace, there is no joy.
And the joy of the Lord is our strength.
Shalom.
"I have told you these things while I am still with you. But the Holy Spirit will come and help you, because the Father will send the Spirit to take my place. The Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of what I said while I was with you."
We too do not have to worry about our own fears and anxieties. When peace first reigns in our heart, the peace of Christ, and when we advocate for this kind of peace, the Holy Spirit is there with us, in us and for us and nothing else matters. There is peace in the midst of anything.
Without peace, there is no joy.
And the joy of the Lord is our strength.
Shalom.
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