Fruit of the Spirit - Week 3 - PEACE

"But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law."
 - Galatians 5: 22-23

To try to read about Peace today, after the discovery of Autumn Pasquale's body, is difficult.  It is with questions of 'WHY!' that I approached our reading of Isaiah 43:1-7. 

And it is in the pages of the Bible that my pleading was acknowledged.  It does not promise that life will be easy or free from trouble.  In fact, it almost guarantees that life will, at times, be difficult with the repetitive use of the word "when" in verse 2.  In this passage that I thought, at first, didn't address Peace (as I thought it should), there is a promise for "All who claim me as their God..." (Isaiah 43:7) .

Your assignment this week is to read Isaiah 43:1-7 and write out your answers to the questions in the study guide.  I know some of the questions seem obvious & easy, but it will be a great help to you if you can see them written out.  This week the passage and your answers to Ms. Offner's questions will combine to get a full picture of Peace.

If you are still unsure how Isaiah 43 relates to Peace, read the Psalms she mentions on pg. 20 (though I'm still not sure how Psalm 46 fits) and Psalm 34.  If you have access to an Index, Dictionary, and/or Concordance (mine are in the back of my Bible), look up Peace and read some of the passages.

Do you have a favorite passage about Peace?  Please leave a comment and share it with the group!  If you are reading this in an e-mail, click on the title at the top, to go to the web page so that you can leave a comment.

Every week in church we are encouraged to greet each other with the Peace of the Lord.  Many of us use the phrase, "Peace be with you".  Jewish people sometimes greet each other (or say good-bye) with the Hebrew word "Shalom", which translates "Peace".  After reading Isaiah 43:1-7 and doing the study guide questions, has the meaning of that exercise changed for you?  Share in the comment section :)

May the Peace of the Lord be with you!

Your Partner in Ministry,
Shelly