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Trusting God in Times of Conflict

Ordinary Time (Second Section)Defence, Cyber Resilience and PeacebuildingWeek 34 · Day 7

Scripture References

Read First

Old Testament

Psalm 46:1-11

1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we won’t be afraid, though the earth changes, though the mountains are shaken into the heart of the seas;

3 though its waters roar and are troubled, though the mountains tremble with their swelling. Selah.

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4 There is a river, the streams of which make the city of God glad, the holy place of the tents of the Most High.

5 God is within her. She shall not be moved. God will help her at dawn.

6 The nations raged. The kingdoms were moved. He lifted his voice and the earth melted.

7 The LORD of Armies is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

8 Come, see the LORD’s works, what desolations he has made in the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth. He breaks the bow, and shatters the spear. He burns the chariots in the fire.

10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted amongst the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.”

11 The LORD of Armies is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

New Testament

John 14:25-27

25 “I have said these things to you while still living with you.

26 But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you.

27 Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, I give to you. Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.

Thought for the Day

Psalm 46 begins where fear begins: trouble, upheaval, roaring waters, shaking ground. And then it speaks a different name for God: refuge, strength, very present help. The Psalm does not command denial. It commands trust.

Jesus, on the night before his death, gives his disciples a gift he distinguishes from all other gifts: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” Not peace as the world gives. Not the fragile quiet of suppressed conflict. His peace is rooted in his presence, and given by the Spirit as a steadiness of heart.

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In times of conflict, it is easy to be governed by outrage and doom. Yet Christians are not permitted to become frantic. We belong to Christ. We may grieve; we may act; we may protest; we may serve. But we may not surrender to fear as our master. Peace is not passivity. It is the refusal to be ruled by terror.

Lord Jesus, give your peace to anxious hearts. Make us truthful without panic, courageous without hatred, steadfast without despair. Teach us to pray for enemies, to protect the vulnerable, and to trust your keeping when the ground feels unsteady. Be our refuge, and make us a shelter for others.

Prayer Points

Respond
  • Give peace to those anxious about war and instability; steady hearts under your care.
  • Protect the vulnerable in conflict: refugees, civilians, the injured, and the displaced.
  • Give wisdom to leaders and negotiators, that escalation is restrained and peace pursued with truth.
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  • Deliver communities from hatred and vengeance; plant patience, courage, and just restraint.
  • Make the Church a refuge: prayerful, compassionate, and ready to help in practical ways.
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