Good morning,

Blessed Memorial Day to all of you, especially to our men and women in the Armed Services.  Thank you all for your devotion to protecting the freedom of our country. 

Our devotion for today comes from Colossians 3:15 "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful." 

Wherever you are today (Selah), think on this; in the third chapter of Colossians, we read, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful" (v. 15).  This passage reveals a number of important truths about obtaining and then retaining peace.  It is a command to be obeyed.  The implication is that if certain things are done, then peace will flow like a river, and it will also take control of us. 

We should keep in mind that if the Lord tells us to do something, then we are able to do it.  This peace from God through Jesus the Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit is capable of ruling when our hearts are troubled.  The word "rule" here is rended in the margin this way: "act as arbiter."  An arbiter is a person who has the power or authority to decide a dispute.  In this case, what would the dispute be about?  It could be about any number of doubts or worries that arise from within or without.  It would include such questions as, "Am I really forgiven?"  "Does God really care about me?"  or "Can I really trust God?"  These and other questions like them can bury us in a sea of unrest.

Nevertheless, we have an arbiter who can decide in our favor He is called "the peace of Christ."  We can work with this arbiter by remembering to do what the end of the verse instructs us: "and be thankful."  Gratitude is a natural result when we simply choose to remember all God's benefits and rehearse them over and over.  Counting our blessings in this way insures the rule of Christ's peace in our life. 

Have a blessed peaceful day!

Your brother in Christ,

J. H. Flakes, III