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Day 1 The “Tenth” Blessing Numbers 6:22-27 22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: 24 “‘“The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’ 27 “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” God is in the blessing business. Some of God’s blessings are General blessings, which he provides for everyone (sunlight, laughter, even the air we breathe). But some blessings, though He desires to give them to us, require us to position ourselves to receive them. If we aren’t ready to receive what He has for us, He patiently waits for us to turn back to Him, calling us back to Him the whole time. And when we turn to God, He gives us peace. There are two definitions of peace: The World’s definition – absence of conflict. Biblical definition – “shalom,” which is the fullness of the presence of God. The World’s definition is situational (based on our circumstances). The World’s definition can’t bring you piece in a world full of conflict. Since recorded history only 8% of the time has been considered peaceful. So in this world full of conflict we need the biblical definition of peace. We are never guaranteed a life without conflict or danger. Safety consists not in the absence of danger, but in the presence of God. Do you have the peace of God? Can you have peace even during the tough times in life? Day 2 The “Tenth” Blessing 12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; 13 planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, 15 proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; (Psalm 92:12-15) “the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” (Num 6:26) When we read this verse we get the imagery of Jesus turning his face toward us and locking eyes with us in the midst of the chaos around us. And in that moment we are overcome with a peace as we put our trust in Him. Psalm 92 describes His people as a palm tree. Palm trees are referred to as monocots. Unlike other types of trees, these monocots have vascular strands that form a network similar to thick steel, cable woven from a lot of smaller steel wires. Each strand in these bundles are connected to the root system, which is deep and wide. When the storm comes, the trees may bend almost horizontal, but because of their flexible support system and stable structure, they pop back up. The palm tree takes the brunt of the storm, but they are not uprooted. Sometimes we pray against the storm God is using to make us stronger. Do we trust God enough to allow Him to use us, even if it means He has to take us through a storm? We may need to embrace the storm so that God can use it in our life. What type of root system do you have? Are you rooted and grounded in Christ like a palm tree is rooted and grounded? If we are not interconnected to Christ we will be uprooted by the storm. Day 3 The “Tenth” Blessing 1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. (Rom 5:1-2) Peace with God If God wants us to have peace, why does it sometimes feel like peace is unobtainable? How do we get that peace? If you don’t have peace with God you won’t have lasting peace. The world can’t give you the peace that satisfies. God created us to find peace in a relationship with Him. Romans 5 tells us that if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior that we now have peace with God. This is a one-time event that happens when we are saved. God now counts us as friend and adopts us as His children instead of being an enemy of God, trapped in our sin. This is the first step in having peace in your life, but it does not guarantee peace. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Jesus tells us that we will have trouble in this world, but take heart because He has overcome the world. If you don’t know the One who has overcome the world, you can’t have the peace that transcends your current situation that only He can bring. Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? If not, why don’t you do so today? If you do know Jesus as Lord, do you trust that He can bring you peace that goes beyond your current situation? Thank God for His good and perfect gift of peace. Day 4 The “Tenth” Blessing 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Phil 4:6-8) Peace of God The peace of God is not guaranteed just because you are a Christian. The peace of God is conditional (unlike peace with God). If you have peace with God, but are still anxious, it might be because you don’t have the peace of God. The peace of God requires a right relationship with God. Then when you pray the peace of God will fill you. We have full access to the peace of God, but we often don’t take advantage of it. When we bring our requests to God we can’t come with expectations of God or desiring God to rubber stamp our desires, instead we must lay them before the throne of God and accept whatever His will is in the matter. Then we will be filled with the peace of God that transcends all understanding and our current situation. Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7) Are you anxious about anything in your life? If so, you can have the peace of God right now, just give the situation to God. What situations has God given you peace about in the past? Thank God for His peace and trust He’ll do the same in the future. “I have seen the face of the Captain and all is well” – Do you see His smile? Day 5 The “Tenth” Blessing Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Phil 4:8) Eight filters to Peace Philippians gives us eight things to focus on to help us keep the peace God gives us. Whatever is True, Noble, Right, Pure, Lovely, Admirable, Excellent and Praiseworthy. When we think about these things God protects our minds and our peace. Satan likes to try to steal our peace by attacking us with negative thinking, but when we focus on the good things God tells us to think about, we can stand strong against Satan’s attacks. We have to be especially vigilant when we are tired or emotional. Satan loves to attack us when we are down or tired. When he does attack we must focus on what is true – God’s Word is truth; what is noble – how would God have us act; what is right – God’s Word is our standard for what is right, what is pure – Christ is our standard for purity; what is Lovely – how lovely are the feet of those who bring the Good News; what is admirable – Christlikeness, to be like Christ; what is excellent – Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17); what is praiseworthy – Christ Jesus is worthy of all our praise. Have you felt Satan attacking your peace late at night, on a business trip, when there’s stress at work, when you are sick, or when you are feeling down? How can keeping your thoughts focused on the things of God help you keep your peace? Day 6 & 7 The “Tenth” Blessing If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Rom 12:18) Peace with Others If you don’t have the peace of God you can’t have peace with others. If you find yourself in conflict with others all the time, it’s not that you’ve met a lot of jerks, but that you don’t have the peace of God. The Church is full of diverse people and opinions, but do we allow it to cripple us, or do we move forward prayerfully to accomplish the will of God? We can’t allow ourselves to be pawns used by Satan to cripple the Church. The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace. (Psalm 29:11) God is a God of blessing and wants to pour out his blessing on us so that we can be a blessing in our Church, our families, our work place and wherever we go. As we are being the blessing to others, God fills our lives with His peace so that we may withstand the attacks of Satan and the trials we face in this life. Do you have peace with God? Do you have the peace of God? Does it show in your interactions with others? How has God blessed you this week? Have you asked God to bless the work of your hands or to show you ways you can be a blessing to others? Have you thanked God for His blessings this week? Have you thanked God for His peace? Make a habit of thanking God every day when you wake and when you lie down. List specific examples. Spend time consciously thinking about whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy.