PASSIONATELY PURSUE PEACE
Who is the man who delights in life, who desires to see good days?
Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech.
Turn away from evil and do good; seekH1245 peaceH7965 and pursueH7291 it.
Psalm 34:13-15
King David is giving his subjects wise counsel and instruction on how God’s people should behave. Our attitudes and actions should reflect God’s mercy, justice, and love (Micah 6:8) If a person wants to have an enjoyable life, they should obey the Lord. They should watch their words, speak truthfully and kindly. They should walk away from any type of wrongdoing, and purposefully choose to do the right thing. They should seek peace first with God who will give them His peace within. Then they can strive for peace with other people. Peace is not always easy to achieve, but we should actively pursue–run and hunt down—peace. This passage is not just talking about peace with other nations, but peace in all relationships.
We looked up the Greek words for “seek” and “pursue” in The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible:
H1245 bâqash, baw-kash’; a primitive root; to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive after:—ask, beg, beseech, desire, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure, (make) request, require, seek (for). (19)
H7291 râdaph, raw-daf’; a primitive root; to run after (usually with hostile intent; figuratively [of time] gone by):—chase, put to flight, follow (after, on), hunt, (be under) persecute(-ion, -or), pursue(-r). (20)
Is there a circumstance that is disturbing your peace within? Pray asking the Prince of Peace to give you His peace in the situation. Are you at odds with someone? Are you holding a grudge against someone or is someone not happy with you? Pray asking the Lord to help you restore peace in that relationship. Go to that person with the offer of peace. Paul urges us in Romans 12:18 (NIV), “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
Father, thank You for sending Jesus to die on the cross and pay the penalty for our sin in order to restore our peace with You. Help us to actively pursue peace with others.