Isaiah 9:6-7
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Luke 2:8-20
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Peace, it seems like a foreign concept to many of us. While we have relative peace within the United States, many whom we love are off fighting a war half way around the globe. Every evening the local and national news stations bring images from Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia, Iran and countless other places where peace is absent. Looking back through history,when has there truly been peace for an extended amount of time on a global level? It ended a long time ago, Adam and Eve ate the fruit, they bore children who were under the yoke of sin and there has not been a global peace since. The first two brothers could not even live at peace with one another, Cain murdered Able.
The Prince of Peace came to change this world, to restore creation. He crushed the enemy, not by violently killing him, but by violently being killed. Let us dwell in the peace that we have in Jesus! All of creation is waiting for the final peace, when Christ will come again, but we, through His sacrifice have peace with God now, and through His Holy Spirit we can have peace in our lives now. Come Lord Jesus! Bring the peace that we all so desperately desire.
Prayer
1. Praise God for the peace that we can have now. Praise him for the peace that is coming.
2. Ask God for peace in yourself, whatever your worries are present them to God, pray for their solution, and let God give you peace about them.
3. Jesus, we are out of space! Continue to pray for a solution to this great (and tough) situation that we are in.
4. Pray that more of the lost would come to know Jesus Christ, that they too may have the peace that we have been given.
5. Lord Jesus come again! Bring your everlasting Peace!