Advent - week four

The Time of PEACE

The final week of Advent leaves us thinking about the very reason that our Savior came; He came that we might have peace with God.  Begin your celebration by relighting the first three candles and pausing a moment to think about what each one means.

Hope

Faith

Joy

When our hope is rekindled, faith rises up anew, the darkness (of our condition) is scattered and joy is restored.  What a loving Father we have.  He always leads us step-by-step until we are exactly where we can receive the fullness of His love toward us.

Lighting the final purple candle, we invite “the peace of God which passes understanding,” (Phil. 4:7)

to envelope us and comfort us, even through times of great uncertainty, sorrow, and stress.  This candle is referred to as the “Angel’s” candle.  We are told that the angels in heaven rejoiced when earth received her King.  “Glory to God in the highest,” they sang.  Two thousand years later, their carol is the same!

Why is that?  Because every day another person is born, God comes anew into this world to unite us with Him.  Every day that “morning has broken” we are presented with new opportunities to bless Him with our love and faithfulness, quietly carrying out His will in our lives…touching others, one at a time, just as Jesus did.  And likewise, each new day brings opportunities for Him to bless us.  As with any doting Father, He loves to surprise us with gifts of love and mercy and grace.  He loves to hear our songs of praise and hear the joy in our voices when we sing.  He yearns for us to find Him early, each and every day, so that His peace may accompany us no matter what happens as the minutes tick away.  What better way to stir His heart, than to sing joyful Christmas carols as we go through the day?!

To be at peace with God is everything.  When there is a bond of peace between us, nothing, absolutely nothing can dim our Hope.  It is that hope that renews our faith, and faith realized…brings JOY.  When joy is present, peace cannot be far behind.

This week, as the days glide into that glorious of days, Christmas, look for opportunities to slow down and allow peace to prevail.  There is no reason that the weeks leading up to Christmas should be harried and stressful.  I believe that allowing unrest to prevail in our hearts and lives, causes the Father great sadness.  After all, He sent His beloved Son in order that we might be reunited with Him once again.

When you think about it, there is no possible way to truly honor God and celebrate His Son if we are not fully engaged in an active pursuit of His love and peace.

This week, consider these scriptures:

Psalm 34:14, Psalm 119:165, Prov. 16:7 (one of my favorites), John 14:27, Gal. 5:22, James 3:18

And there are so many others.  Make a list of your own favorites.

Psalm 85:10 is probably my favorite passage regarding PEACE.

Listen to what the psalmist revealed to us:

“Mercy and truth are met together;

Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.”

In Jesus, we have been given a door that brings us directly into the presence of our Father.

Here’s how we open it:

When the Truth of our woeful condition and the very state of our lost condition collides with the extravagant Mercy of our great God, then His Righteousness becomes our righteousness, and we have Peace with God.  Hallelujah!  Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other!!!

No need for mistletoe; the Father has made a way for us through Jesus, the beloved.

Enjoy these and other special Christmas songs:

“Silent Night, Holy Night”   “Still, Still, Still” 

And whatever else you find to do…take time for peaceful moments!  A moment here and a moment there could make all the difference.  Peace be unto you!