The peace that passes

By KNOX HERNDON
Pastor

I was reading that a prison chaplain had purchased boxes of Mother's Day cards for the inmates to send home to their mothers. After a short while all the cards were taken and sent home. The program was so successful that he did the same for Father's Day but only a very few were picked up to be used. One can read into this what ever one wishes.

I remember when my mother and father died, I didn't know what it would do to my life's "compass needle." We had been such a close family and such good friends that I didn't know if I could take the losses. In fact, I preached both my mother's and father's funerals but still I didn't know at the time whether I could do this or not.

When the children of Israel wandered for forty years in the desert looking for the promised land that God had promised, they one day ran out of food. They went to Moses and Moses prayed and God sent manna.

Now manna was very interesting food. First of all, its name "man-a" means in Hebrew "what is it?" I believe if you or I would have been among this group of people in the desert we would have probably said the same thing. Imagine you get up one morning and see this substance lying all over the ground; your first response would probably be, "What is going on here?"

They found out that the manna was good to eat to sustain them but there was an interesting stipulation that God put on it. He told them to "only gather up enough for one day." Just like today, some listened and some did not. Some tried to gather enough for several days but something interesting happened to the manna that was gathered for more than one day. God's Word says "it stanketh and turned to worms" (KJV).

Was this a cruel joke God was playing on these people? No. He was constantly looking for their daily obedience. One theologian wrote that it took 10 plagues to get the children of Israel out of Egypt but it took 40 years to get Egypt out of the children of Israel. The lesson here for us today is to rely on God on a daily basis.

God's Word talks about "that peace that passes all understanding." In other words, it is His peace that allows you to preach your own parents' funerals. It is His peace that allows you to press on in daily life and not fall apart at every obstacle that comes your way.

There are several interesting phenomena that happen with this "peace that passes all understanding." I have learned after 30 years in the ministry that this peace is like the manna, it is only there when you need it. I have learned another phenomenon about this "peace," and that is that it is never late.

I have learned another phenomenon and that is that, like the manna, you can't store any of it up. I have learned another phenomenon about this "peace" and that is that it often only comes on a daily bases. I have learned another phenomenon about this "peace" and that is that it can and will sustain you through the crisises of life.

Our little church voted two Sundays ago to finally, after six years, build our sanctuary and get out of our "church alive in the doublewide on 85" status. Once we build we will go forward out of our mission status and into the constitution of a full-fledged church. I feel like we have been 40 years in the dessert and are finally seeing into the Promised Land.

Take a moment now and then and thank the pioneers who have gone before you to establish your church you are now attending. I promise you that there were many days of daily gathering of the manna so that you could feast in your wonderful church today. God bless you as you gather and eat and gather and eat of the daily manna of God's wonderful Holy Spirit.

The Rev. Dr. Knox Herndon is pastor of His House Community Church (SBC). The Rev. Greg Mausz is senior associate pastor. The Rev. Dr. Lydia Herndon is the Sunday School superintendent, Bible study coordinator and teacher. The church is just below Fayetteville, on Ga. Highway 85, a mile south of Ga. Highway 16, just below the fire station. Visitors welcome. Church office and prayer line 770-719-2365; e-mail KHERN2365@aol.com. The church's new Web site is www.hishousecommunitychurch.com.