Peace and Grace

Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all . . . The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. 2 Thessalonians 3:16, 18.

In the midst of great uncertainty, Paul closes his letter asking the God of grace and peace to bless the Thessalonian believers with peace and grace.

Peace is not characterized by the absence of conflict, trial, or uncertainty. Peace is a hope and an inner confidence that we have in the midst of turmoil. It is an unexplained calmness when the pressure is building.

And it is found only in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is our peace.

Grace is the unmerited favor of God. It is by grace that we are saved from our sin. It is by grace that we live a life pleasing to God. Everything that we have and everything that we are is because of His grace.

It too is found only in Jesus Christ.

As we face days of uncertainty, my wife and I find peace in our relationship with Jesus Christ. We have a hope that is not dependent upon our circumstances. We have confidence that God will carry us through the trials in a way that glorifies Himself and causes us to mature in Christlikeness.

By His grace, and His grace alone, will we be able to stand fast through the difficult times ahead. Grace means that we do not deserve anything from God, but because of His amazing love, we know that He will give us everything we need and more to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to Him.

Today, I am thankful that the pain is not so severe.

My wife talked with our oncologist this morning. He will be calling an adult Ewing's Sarcoma specialist at Sloan-Kettering in NYC for a consultation. We are exploring all available options in an effort to make the most informed choice about our future plan of action.

Ultimately we know that God is in control of our days and we pray that His will may be done.