This transcript is auto-generated.

A lady had asked if she could come to see me and of course we set up an appointment and our conversation started out relatively lite. Then there was this moment when it got much more serious, and she began to pour out her heart to me she described several conflicts she was having with other people and the confusion that she was experiencing about it all. In her own head she just wanted to know how to deal with these things, because these troubles were was causing some deep-seated anxiety and at one point she blurted out, “all I want is to love in peace”,   She's not the only person that has ever said that to me, I've had others say some are similar things. Maybe you've felt the same way especially if you ever got into a conflict with another person and all you wanted was peace in that situation as well as peace within your own heart.

So how do you get peace with other people? Is there some key to getting and maintaining peace with other people? The question we shall be considering over the next few days is how to find and maintain peace with other people. I think there's a principle or two in the scriptures that is helpful when it comes to this issue. Some of those principles are illustrated in an incident in the life of Abraham in Genesis chapter 21 are as useful as any found in scripture. So, let's look at Abraham who is now in conflict with somebody and see how they handled it. Maybe this can give us some insight and how to handle our own conflicts with other people, beginning in Genesis 21: 22

“At that time Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do. Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.” Abraham said, “I swear it.”

(Genesis 21: 22-24)

An interesting passage of scripture, we have I have encountered Abimelech before in chapter 20 and now we see him again in chapter 21. This time he and Abraham are having a bit of a difficulty this passage starts out with the Abimelech making a request of Abraham. Previously these two guys had a bit of a little conflict going on and it ends with the fact that they got it this all settled, and Abraham settled and became a resident in the land. Abimelech we've met before and the very fact that he's here seems to make this incident quite a big deal the commander of the army came to speak to him about things. What's interesting is he says God is with you in all that you do. If you will recall the incident in the previous chapter what happened is Abraham got to Abimelech territory and said to Sarah, tell him you're my sister not my wife. Abimelech put her in his Haram and planned to marry her which could have caused all kinds of problems, but God appears to him in a dream an Abimelech give Sarah back to Abraham and they resolved that conflict. In that story God told Abimelech that Abraham was a prophet. So he's had an encounter with Abraham prior to this and it concludes with Gods appearing to him in a dream and you may recall Abimelech got sick and was unable to consummate the marriage and Abraham prayed for him and he got well, in fact his whole household got sick.

There were a number of things going on that convinced Abimelech that the Lord was with Abraham. He knew because of all the things that had happened and his relationship with Abraham. I think this is really fascinating Abimelech recognises that the Lord is with Abraham in everything he does and on the other hand he says and by the way I also notice you were very capable of lying to me. I want you to swear that that by your God that you won't deal with me or my household or my future descendants in a in a false way. That you'll deal with us honestly and up rightly. When he had the dream, he gave Sarah back to Abraham he didn't have to do that and unless the Lord scared him to death which is probably the case. However, he did more than that he showered Abraham with gifts, and he gave him land to raise this herds and flocks on. He had been very kind to Abraham, and he says,  look I've been kind to you, and I just want you to reciprocate that's all. That's my request that you deal with me as kindly as I have dealt with you. What I find so fascinating here  is that on the one hand he says Gods with you and everything you do, yet you are a lying fellow you and I have seen both sides of you. Abraham’s reply verse 24 very short sweet and simple, “ I swear it”. From here on out I will do that I'll deal honestly with you. Abimelech is requesting honesty and peace that's basically what's going on here, so that they will not have any more conflicts between them. I don't want you to lie to me anymore, I don't want to be more conflicts. I just want her to be peace between us.

That’s it they make an agreement, but they will also ratify that agreement in the following verses, and we shall look at how they do that in the next episode.