Monday, December 21, 2015

…and His Gospel is Peace

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. John 16:33

This past Sunday was the third Sunday of Advent so we lit the Peace candle.  As I sat there watching the candles being lit, the thought came to me that the harder life gets, the sweeter Christmas is.  The gifts that God gave us, the gift of the gospel, mercy, grace, love, and peace, are more valuable than the most expensive gifts money can buy.  Sometimes we don’t realize how much we truly do value those gifts until we are out of all of the above.
Many things in life can steal our peace, such as financial strains, relationships, conflicts at work, etc. Not just at Christmas, but every day of the year, Satan works hard to rob us of the peace that Christ can bring. For those people who live with chronic illness and those who take care of them on a daily basis, Christmas may be sweeter just because you simply made it through another year.  The everyday struggles of chronic disease, the sleepless nights, the ups and downs; it all takes a toll on everyone. Peace and rest are what you long for the most when it is absent from your life.
That first Christmas so long ago that baby brought the sweet healing balm for a hurting world, a broken heart, and a tired and weary soul.  Life is just hard. When you struggle physically and emotionally on a daily basis, even the good stress of Christmas is overwhelming and draining.  Peace escapes us when we are worn out and tapped out.  But in the midst of the twinkling lights and ornaments lies the amazing grace, mercy and love of a savior; a savior from our sins, a savior from our diseases, a savior from our pain and best of all, a savior from ourselves. He is the reason we can have peace. In the stolen, moments between all the chaos and stress, let peace cover you. We can have peace because He came, because He brought Salvation, and along with it, the gift of peace. For all of us, when we are tired and life feels hopeless and hope is nowhere to be found, He is our Prince of Peace and we can only find peace in Him. This Christmas, inhale the season – all of it. Inhale the beauty, sounds, smells, but most of all, inhale the grace and peace that Christ gives us. 

Scripture to Claim:

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will [a]rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.  Isaiah 9:6

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