(Jesus said) "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." John 14:27

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world. So that the readers of our Daily Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of our International Ministry Centers to write our Friday devotions. We pray that the Spirit may touch your day through their words.

In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours,
Kenneth R. Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour



For many reasons we all have a desire for peace in our lives.

When a person's days are lived without peace, they find their life is uncomfortable, unsatisfied, and they are unhappy. Now these statements are true whether a person has heard the Name of Jesus Christ or not.

Recently, we watched one of our women from Liberia participate in a beauty contest. As we watched the program, one of the other contestants said she just wanted "world peace." The audience clapped, and we also applauded a wonderful wish, a noble sentiment. We were pleased such a beautiful lady had such a beautiful longing in her heart. Unfortunately, she had no idea how to make that wish a reality.

She had a noble desire to have peace, but a noble desire is not enough.

Many people today, like the beauty pageant contestant, are searching for peace. But the world cannot give them that. With more than a dozen armed conflicts going on throughout the world right now, there is adequate proof the world's powers do not even have the ability to bring about a world that has no war.

The truth is the world cannot bring about global peace, nor does it have the wisdom and power to give anyone personal peace.

In contrast to the world's inabilities we have the Savior's capabilities. The peace the Savior gives to Christians is a perfect peace. It is not a political cessation of conflict; it is not a temporary calm between military scuffles; it is not the lip service offered by foreign dignitaries.

Jesus offers a peace that is permanent, complete and genuine. By the Holy Spirit's power, sinners are brought to Jesus. There, before the cross and at the empty tomb, forgiveness is granted to repentant hearts and comfort is granted to troubled souls. Our Creator, knowing our needs, has given us peace through His Son Jesus.

When Jesus was preparing His disciples for His earthly death and departure, He knew they were troubled. They were troubled at the thought of His absence, and they were troubled about what would become of them.

Speaking with the authority which only could come from God's Son, Jesus said, "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again to receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be also" (John 14:2-3).

What a caring Friend the disciples had in Jesus. More importantly, what a Savior they had.

With these words Jesus laid their fears to rest and gave them peace of mind. How refreshing it must have been for them to hear that Jesus was providing a true place of rest and care for them! In a similar way, Jesus has confirmed that our future is secure with Him.

The day will come when our coming home will be celebrated with rejoicing when we meet our Lord and Heavenly Father in our new home. Jesus Himself will be there to receive us.

Until then, because of Jesus' blood-bought peace, we can live joyously, confidently and peacefully as we look forward to the time when Jesus will bring us to our eternal home.

THE PRAYER: Father in heaven, in Your mercy, bestow on us Your peace to our good. This I pray in the Name of the Savior who gave His life so my life may be at peace. Amen.

Biography of Author: Today's international devotion was written by Edward T. Bryant. He joined the ministry center volunteer team through the Liberian Lutheran Hour Ministries' community evangelism program. He has since been connected to the Liberian Evangelical Lutheran Church. Today, he faithfully works with our volunteer evangelism teams. We rejoice that this office has developed a unique community evangelism program that has enabled the ministry to reach community dwellers in their homes with the Gospel.

Based in Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, Lutheran Hour Ministries-Liberia was established in 2013. Emerging from years of civil war, this country of 4.5 million people is served by a ministry center that airs a weekly radio program that invites listeners to sign up for Bible Correspondence Course (BCC) training. This instruction is offered in two languages: Krahn and Bassa. Working with area congregations, LHM-Liberia presents films, outdoor concerts, and dramatic performances as a way to connect with local communities and invite people to know more about Jesus. Ministry partnerships with area congregations help recruit and cultivate volunteers and open doors for scheduling Equipping the Saints (ETS) workshops to train individuals to witness to their faith.

Check out what's going on in Liberia by clicking here to read its blog. Well-attended Bible classes are teaching Liberians about the marvelous grace of our God, who spared not the life of His Son, but offered Him up for us all.


To learn more about our International Ministries, click here or visit www.lhm.org/international.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: Daniel 8-10    Philemon

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