October 17, 2022 – Daily Bread Devotional for Today | Monday Daily Devotions Reading

October 17, 2022 – Daily Bread Devotional for Today

TOPIC: Peacemaking

SCRIPTURE READING — James 3:13-18

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

KEY VERSE: Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. — James 3:18

October 17, 2022 – Daily Bread Devotional MESSAGE

Peace is so much more than an absence of conflict. Peace involves people and systems working in harmony together. Peace is an existence full of well-being, in which our ­bodies, our relationships, our environment, and even our governments and economies are healthy. Peace even grows righteousness, which brings flourishing and justice for all. Where there is righteousness, people treat each other with love, patience, and all other virtues. Peace is an existence we dream of, which Jesus promised to bring us.

Peace is not here yet. But we can have tastes of it. We can even build little communities of it for a time. The Holy Spirit built a community of peace among the early Christians (see Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-37). And some examples today include Christians living in “intentional communities” together.

READ: October 17, 2022 – Love Worth Finding Daily Devotional

Sometimes our calling and our God-given responsibilities in this world prevent us from creating a community where we can live mainly with ­others who share our desire for peace. But we can learn a lot from such communities, and we can be peacemakers in the world at large.

Where do you see a lack of peace in the community you are a part of, and what can you do to sow some peace there? Do you already know how to do that? Whom could you learn from?

October 17, 2022 – Daily Bread Devotional PRAYER

Lord Jesus, come quickly to bring your peace for­ever. In the meantime, teach us practical ways to be peacemakers where we are today. Amen.

Today Devotional written by Scott DeVries has served as a church pastor and as a ministry ­coordinator in the Holland, Michigan, area. He currently works at ­facilitating connections between the more than twenty ministries and 1,100 churches of the Christian Reformed Church in North America. He has a passion for prayer, church organization, and studying the Scriptures in their original languages.