Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
Have you ever tried to kick a habit, or stop a craving? I'm not necessarily saying that these things are evil. In fact, I'm actually struggling with that right now. Every time I walk into our living room and I see my Bible sitting on the table, I just really want to pick it up and read it. I’m really trying to fight this temptation. I keep glancing at it and I keep thinking, okay, no, no, no, no, I just have to say no. I need to not touch it. I need to stay away from it.
You're probably saying, wait, what? What are you talking about? That's the beauty of this illustration and what we're talking about today. Do you notice that our cravings and some of our struggles that we have are actually the bad things? Wouldn't it be fantastic if the cravings and the habits that we had, that we just couldn't help but partake in and do, were actually the good things? That's really what the context of this verse is talking about.
Craving the Good
That's what I love about getting into the practicality behind this verse when it says, "Turn away from evil and do good," because the doing good part—goodness, it would be fantastic if that were the habit that we had that we just couldn't help but do. It's kind of like exercise. We're getting into shape. Oh, that is brutal. You're sore. It's not fun. Getting out of shape? Super easy because it's so much more comfortable.
When it comes to the context of this and really what we're talking about in this verse, when it says "turn from evil," I'm reminded of the story of Lot in the Old Testament. Lot was a nephew of Abraham, and they came to a point where it was like, okay, we're going to split up. Our families aren't getting along very well. Love the practical side of that. Have you been there? We're going to split up. You and your family, Lot, you need to go somewhere else. Abraham's family is going to separate a little bit.
The Direction We Face
It says that Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom. If you know from the Old Testament, Sodom and Gomorrah ended up destroyed because of their wickedness, because of the evil. It's such a practical illustration of where we find ourselves in this verse when it says "turn from evil." What's unique and interesting is that Peter didn't say, "stop doing evil things." It says, "turn from evil." When we find ourselves facing in a direction toward the things that are not of the Lord, we are going to end up falling to it. That's what's so important about this passage, and why it's so practical to everyday living.
I love the practicality in the application to this verse also is Romans chapter 13, verse 14. It says, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not make provisions for your flesh." I love that because sometimes we have great intentions of we need to kick this habit, or stop doing this, or man, I ended up falling to the sin again, but yet we still make provision for it. We don't actually turn away from it, and repentance is actually turning completely 180 degrees away from where we were headed.
Searching for Peace
But the beauty of going into the second part of this verse is it actually says, "Search for peace and work to maintain it." Now, why is this important, especially such a strange connection, to turn away from evil and do good, search for peace? One of the fruits of the Spirit of God is peace. If you know that actually the Spirit of God is the one that offers you this gift, this fruit, guess what He's saying? Search for the Spirit of God, because in Him lies the peace that you're looking for.
When we're seeking and pursuing the Spirit of God, we will actually be pursuing godly things and the things of God to the opposite direction of evil. We're turning away from evil. We're pursuing good, but we're also pursuing peace, which is lying in the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of God, because He can offer you that gift.
I would encourage you, whatever direction you're heading, if it's not towards God, turn from that and find ways not to just do good, but seek the presence of the Holy Spirit of God in your life, because He has the gift of peace that He can offer you. We can tend to think there's things in the world that can offer us that peace and comfort, but it lives in the Spirit of God. Seek Him today, and He will equip you with the peace of His presence.