Sceptre of Peace

The Lord is gracious and kind to us. Even though we have been like Israel in turning from following the right way, the Lord holds out His sceptre of peace to us. We are in the presence of our great God and King and have not to fear His wrath.

         We are keenly aware that we fall short of God’s glory and know that we cannot stand before Him in our own name, by our own deeds, in our own goodness. Even if we have maintained our integrity, like Samuel, our frequent failures, and our secret sins, rise up menacingly in our minds when we are face to face with the one true Holy God. And we are tempted then to cower in fear.

         But then, God’s grace, we are reminded that we are not standing in His presence in our own name, waiting for Him to post a grade on the paper of our meritorious works. It is not our paper or our work that is being graded but Christ’s faithfulness, and His work is always a perfect pass. We are here in His name, by His deeds, as His friends. Thanks be to God and grace upon grace.