March 3, 2026 Devo

One of the aspects of the character of God that we sometimes miss is how much God desires that we be at peace with Him. He doesn’t want to be our Enemy. He doesn’t want us to be at odds with Him. He doesn’t want us to feel as if we need to run and hide in His Presence. In fact, it’s the exact opposite.
God wants to be our Savior, the One who rescues us from this world of sin. He wants to be our Shepherd, the One who watches over us and cares for us. He wants to be our Father, the One whose very Spirit lives with us as His sons and daughters. He wants to be our Friend, the One who walks with us, shares life with us, and spends eternity with us.
He makes that so clear throughout scripture. When the world became exceedingly wicked, Noah found grace in His eyes, and God preserved his family. When Abraham was bartering with God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah, the Lord let Abraham set the terms, all the way down to only finding 10 righteous men in the whole city. God’s heart is for redemption, for repentance, for peace.
Our passage today is another example of God’s patience and heart for reconciliation. Take another look at the verse: “Let them make peace with me; yes, let them make peace with me.” God wants His people to know that even though they have turned their backs on Him, His heart is still turned toward them. Yes, they have disobeyed. Yes, they are dealing with the consequences of that disobedience. Yes, they have dishonored His Name and broken His Heart. But even still, God wants PEACE with them. If only they would turn back to Him.
Even more astounding than that is that this verse is also for the very enemies of God and His people who are about to sweep them away. Yes, God is going to exercise judgment on them. Yes, they will be punished for their evil hearts and their evil deeds. Yes, they will find out just how powerful God’s retribution can be. But that’s not what God wants! God desires that even those who are far from Him, those who have turned against Him, those who have fought to destroy His Name, would repent of their ways and make PEACE with Him. Make no mistake, God does not wink at evil or give a pass to those who mock His Name. But His desire is never to punish. It is for PEACE.
Please hear my heart today. Make peace with God. Let go of your anger with Him or your disappointment with Him and make peace with Him. Regardless of your past, or how deeply into sin you have waded, God still loves you. Make your peace with Him. Maybe you’ve not run from God, but simply wandered. Perhaps you got busy with life and followed your own path and just now realized you’re a long way from where you need to be. Come home. Confess, repent, return. Make your peace with God. He waits with open arms. That’s God’s Word for you today.