Bible reading

“For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  Isaiah 9:6 NIV

This verse comes up often in the month of December.  Whether the world knows it or not, everyone turns their attention to the celebration of the Savior’s birth into His earthly body.  One He only occupied for a few years, but through which He became EVERYTHING to us.  The tiny baby in our nativity sets grew up to die in our place for our sins and resurrect on the third day!  That’s why we observe Christmas.  And why we call Him – among other things – the Prince of Peace.  Hallelujah.  What a Savior! 

My journey with a Word of the Year began in 2021.  I focused on trust, and now rest, and next year joy.  It has all been a quest to learn how to live with peace in this broken, painful world.  So when reading the familiar passage above, my heart lingered on the name Prince of Peace.

I heard someone on a podcast reference John 14:27 recently.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

In this passage, Jesus prepares His followers for His impending death.  And with it He prepares us for the long Advent until He comes again.  Although familiar to me, what the podcaster said about this verse fell fresh on me.  She said that Jesus already gave us peace.  It is as much a gift as anything wrapped under our trees.  Let me reiterate, we have peace now!

The Message version of John 14:27 says,  “I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you.”  New Living Translation? “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart.”

Those of us in Christ don’t need to search for peace or go through any rituals to obtain it.  But how can we feel it?  That’s the challenge, isn’t it.  If we presently possess peace – remember, the Prince of Peace didn’t say He would give it at a future time, but that He already did – why does it often feel so absent?

How to Feel Peace

Peace is a gift; however, God also includes it in the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).  Therefore, a life lived walking with the triune God produces peace.  We must take the gift our Prince gave us and cultivate it.  Peace can cover us like a cozy blanket (we are talking about rest after all) when we keep a clear conscience with God.  Obedience, time spent reading and meditating on God’s Word and prayer which includes regular confession keep us in step with our Prince, our Father and the Holy Spirit.

I can’t think of a better time to recommit ourselves to these disciplines.  There is magic (or maybe it’s just me) in spending time with our Savior by the Christmas tree and twinkle lights.  And as we still ourselves and slow down long enough, we can feel the peace He so freely gave.

We can rest on that.  Shalom.

And now for this week’s featured post from the link up!

God has been putting the word “joy” in front of me, as I mentioned above.  And Barbara Lee Harper wrote about a book that sounds like just the ticket in Joy:  A Godly Woman’s Adornment.

The Link Up

1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.

2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.

3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).

We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
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LAUREN SPARKS
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LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
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TAMMY KENNINGTON – Restoring hope. Pursuing peace.
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 Now Let’s Link Up!

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