Christmas Peace Part 1
God used the star in the sky to lead the Magi or Wise men to where
Christ was. Today, God uses His word to lead those that pursue Him for
salvation, answer questions, provide a peace that passes all understanding or
to meet their needs. One need that I always have during the Christmas Holidays,
is the need to stay focused on what Christmas represents in my heart. And
because of that need, I am constantly being drawn to the Word of God to help
keep my priorities in the right order. When I do this, my Holidays are less
stressful and much more meaningful. While Christmas is for us, it is never
about us. If we are not careful, we can allow this wonderful Holiday to draw us
away from God rather than closer to Him by the stresses and business that the
holidays may require of us. The expense of buying gifts, the pressure of last
minute shopping and the heightened expectations of family gatherings, cooking,
cleaning, decorating, can all combine together to undermine our best intentions
and sidetrack us from our original purpose. Today, there is hardly room for the
baby in the manger as people look forward to the stories of The Grinch, Miracle
on 34th Street, Rudolph, Frosty and the chubby man in the red suit.
Many will end up disappointed and sad, because they are trying to be happy and
find satisfaction in gifts, parties, employee bonuses and other things, only to
find in the end that those things did not provide the joy and peace that they
were hoping for. The personal turmoil that every human being experiences is a
sign of their need for and their separation from God and where He wants them to
be; at peace. For those that find the true peace that comes through the Christ
child, the apostle Paul tells us this, “Therefore, since we have been
justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”
Romans 5:1. Even Jesus Himself told us in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you,
my peace I give unto you: not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your
heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” The peace that Jesus offers only
comes through a heart change. The world has it all backwards. To those that
think that Jesus came to bring peace on earth, Jesus said, "Do not think
that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a
sword…Matthew 10:34. The Bible is full of verses that refer to the peace of God. It is a great mistake, to
regard this type of peace with a feeling. For our feelings change from moment
to moment and from experience to experience. For those that have found it,
those feelings do not overwhelm their sense of inner peace that only God can give
them. The peace of mind and heart that God offers and virtually everyone wants,
is not a feeling at all, but a state of wellbeing. It is a belief that
everything is under the sovereign control of the only true God who loves us and
has our best interest in mind and we can trust Him in that. Paul also
encourages those that put their trust in Christ with the promise of God’s
presence and help during difficult times. He said, “Do not be anxious about
anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present
your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (continued next week)
Merry Christmas!
Bren
Christmas Peace Part 2
As I mentioned in last week’s devotion, one need that I always
have during the Christmas Holidays, is the need to stay focused on what
Christmas represents in my heart. And because of that need, I am constantly
being drawn to the Word of God to help keep my priorities in the right order.
When I do this, my Holidays are less stressful and much more meaningful. While
Christmas is for us, it is never about us. If we are not careful, we can allow
this wonderful Holiday to draw us away from God rather than closer to Him by
the stresses and business that the holidays may require of us. Philippians
4:6-7. Inner peace can only come when we are in a right relation to God through
our faith in Jesus Christ, His Son. You want find Him in gifts or at parties at
the inn, or even in the Christmas rituals that you may be used to being a part
of. He is in the stable, where you least expect Him. He had to experience
Isaiah 53:3 “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and
acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was
despised, and we esteemed Him not.” And now intercedes for us, because He
personally understands everything that we go through and that touches our
lives. The first time Jesus came to the world, He came to a manger in a lowly
stable. He grew up and was despised and even rejected by many. He stood before
royalty and was judged by Pilate. But when He comes again, Kings alike, Pilate
included, will stand before Him. When He came the first time, He came as a
baby. When He comes again, He will come as a conquering King. When He came the
first time, He was rejected but when He comes again Romans 14:11 says, “As I
live saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me and every tongue shall confess
to God.” “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many
as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them
that believe on His name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the
flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” John 1:11-13. Gifts are fun,
both to give and receive, but they are only symbolic of a much greater gift as
found in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only
Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life”. It’s
easy to become overwhelmed by the busyness of Christmas. That doesn’t mean we
have to lose track of the significance of this time of year, or miss out on the
opportunities it can present. Gift giving is a wonderful way to show love
to one another, as God gave us the example by giving His Son. They seem
particularly true when we are giving out of our time and gifts to those in
need. Don’t just go through the motions this Christmas. Put forth the effort to
find the true meaning of Christmas. He is not so far that He cannot be found.
Jesus is the reason for the season, seek Him while He may be found!
Merry Christmas!
Bren
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