July 30 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

When he comes to the close of his letter, the apostle thinks of the congregation of Christ—how it is surrounded by evil forces and false teachers (vv. 17-18). But then he encourages the church and himself by pointing at the work God is doing: "The God of peace will soon crush Satan."

Often the Bible calls God by the gifts he gives. For example, God is called the "God of grace" and the "God of comfort" and the "God of encouragement." Why? Because God is the source and origin of these gifts that flow to us. Here Paul calls him the "God of peace."

When we call God the "God of peace," we mean more than that we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We also mean that God is the God of shalom—an old Hebrew word that most believers have learned again.

Shalom is peace and prosperity, wholeness and healing, harmony and rest. It is the peace of God's kingdom. The "God of peace" is the one who brings the kingdom.

God brings this shalom of paradise, this everlasting kingdom, by crushing Satan. "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet." This statement refers back to the first promise God made when he punished people and cursed the serpent (Gen. 3:15). That promise is now being fulfilled.

The serpent (Satan, or the devil) is the great disturber of the peace. Once he is crushed, shalom is established. By the work of Jesus Christ, the devil has received the decisive blow. Today this battle goes on. Soon it will be over.

"The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet." God does the crushing, but he uses the shoes of his church. Through us, the Lord fights to make peace in the world. God does it, but he does not do it without us.

"Soon" all evil will be defeated. The ancient foe is about to be crushed. Then it will be shalom, my friends. Shalom!

REFLECTIONS

How do you see the church—your church—fighting to make peace in the world?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.