Jesus, the Prince of PEACE
“If God be our God, He will give us peace in trouble. When there is a storm without, He will make peace within. The world can create trouble in peace, but God can create peace in trouble.
~Thomas Watson
Find a way to take a few moments each week to create space and prepare your heart personally and/or as a family. You could light a candle each week. You could gather around your Christmas tree, or around a Nativity set if you have one. Go outside and take in God’s beauty. May you be blessed this Advent season.
Scripture: John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
Devotional: As we make room for hope we gain the capacity to have peace. Peace. What is it? Peace should not be mistaken for a life of ease and zero conflict. Peace comes from Christ in the midst of the fear. Peace cannot be taken, it cannot be stolen.
Let’s look at the key characters in the story of the birth of Jesus. Hope was coming to the world, the prophecy finally fulfilled. Gabriel visited Mary to tell her she was chosen to be the very Mother of the Son of God. Luke 1:28: “The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” I wonder what Mary was doing at that very moment. Was she thinking about the promised Prince of Peace? ( Isaiah 9:6-7b) Then in verse 30 the angel addresses her fear, “But the angel said to her, ”Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.” He was speaking peace over her in a situation that required God-sized peace. This was a Peace that the whole world was about to be introduced to. And then we have Joseph. The account of the angel visiting him before Jesus birth is found in Matthew. Mary and Joseph were engaged to be married and Mary was with child by the Holy Spirit. Joseph was struggling with this idea and was quietly contemplating divorce. Matthew 1:20 says, “But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.’” The angel was delivering a message from God, again a message of peace in a situation that was almost impossible for the human mind to comprehend.
Have you ever heard the statement ‘The opposite of fear is faith’? Well I think the opposite of fear is peace. Things around us can still be hard or uncertain or scary, but deep within, we can have such a peace, because we know that Christ is in us, with us, all around us. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7 ESV
Christ gives a peace that passes all understanding to guard our heart.
I recently listened to the story of Kathie and Steve Arnold. God had called them to the mission field in Russia and they had given God their “Yes”. This was August of 2001, shortly after 9/11. They prayed and sought the Lord and felt led to move forward with their plan to travel, even when friends and family questioned their timing. Kathie said this about their choice: “When we do things God calls us to do, we don’t do things that we decide are a good idea, but when God says you’re supposed to do this, He takes out all the fear and all the insecurity. We had such a peace.” This peace!!! I need it. You need it. The world needs it. Jesus IS our peace.
You may be wrestling with a big decision, facing uncertainty, or you’re afraid of what’s happening now or just ahead. As the flicker of hope begins to grow into a bright flame, it will chase away the darkness and make room for peace. May Christ, the Prince of Peace, fill you with perfect peace today.
Here are a few other verses about peace to ponder:
Isaiah 9:6-7b
Luke 2:14
John 14:27
John 16:33
Philippians 4:6-7
Isaiah 26:3
Prayer: Jesus, May Your peace come and fill my heart. Help me to give you my uncertainty and fear so that peace has room to move in. Help my mind and heart to be guarded by the peace that passes all understanding. Thank You that You are my peace.
~In Jesus Name, Amen
Song: Peace on Earth by Donald Novis; Peace on Earth by Kiersey Clemons
This song was originally written for the 1995 Disney movie, Lady and the Tramp. It caught my attention as I watched the newer movie last Christmas.
Reflections: What is peace to you? Have you felt peace recently? What fear and uncertainty might you be facing that you need to give to the Lord in exchange for His peace?
Family Devotional Ideas:
1) The YouVersion Bible app has Advent devotionals for children, teens and adults. Find one that fits you/child/teen/family.
2) The Jesus Storybook Bible is my favorite for babies and young children. Take some time to start reading the story of Jesus’ birth. You could also help them spell the word peace by using shaving cream on a table, a dry erase board, magnetic letters on the fridge. Or look for the word when you are out running errands or maybe on a Christmas ornament. You could even look up how to sign Peace in ASL. You could also point out the word in a Christmas song as you listen together.
3) If you have an elementary-aged child and/or teen, simply ask a question or two as you eat a meal or drive in the car. One question you could ask is: “What does peace mean to you?” Another idea is to simply text them a question to ponder and include one of the verses above.
4) Memorize Scripture. You can memorize one of the verses from this week’s devotional or another that speaks to you. Encourage your entire family to work on it.