Advent -Four weeks set apart for contemplation and celebration of the birth of Jesus. As we look through the Advent season, our desire is to help you prepare your heart and mind for Christmas and lure you away for a brief moment from the pace and distraction that often surrounds this season.
December 6th - The second Sunday of Advent.
I trust we all took time to think about Hope over the last week, and how important it is to keep our hopes alive, and to keep seeking God’s replenishment of our hopes and dreams.
This week we will focus on peace.
Many people believe that peace is the absence of conflict or a sort of armistice.
But the Biblical concept of peace runs much deeper and is more comprehensive.
The Hebrew word for peace, šālôm, or in the Greek, eirēnē, has a wide semantic range including the notions of totality or completeness, success, fulfillment, wholeness, harmony, security and well-being. Wow, that is huge.
We understand that the peace spoken of by the angels that night involved much more than conveying God was not at war with us. It spoke of the same sort of life abundant Jesus mentioned in John 10:10.
So, as we think about this Advent season, let’s remember that the kingdom of God was announced as the angels appeared to those shepherds watching their flocks by night. It is a case of how Jesus’ reputation preceded Him as He is the Prince of Peace and the author of a new kingdom marked by Peace (Romans 14:17).
The world around us is filled with turmoil, strife and contention. Many people, and even nations, are in a rage. Let us pull away from all that and contemplate the peace that Jesus offers, a peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7).
If we find ourselves caught up in the whirlwind of turmoil or unrest or even at war or in a rage, let us take the time to do a reset. Focus on the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 26:3).
And if that is not enough, take some time to pray for world peace, but start with your own self and soul (Philippians 4:6, John 14:27) and thereby realize the promise of Peace.
