Where is Peace to be Found?
The birth of Jesus ushered in a new kingdom on earth – a Kingdom of Peace.
“Peace on Earth” the angels sang as they announced the arrival of the Prince of Peace, the One who was to rule this extraordinary kingdom.
“Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother,
And in His name all oppression shall cease.”
(excerpt from O Holy Night)
Yet, we might wonder “where is peace to be found on earth?”
The answer is that there will never be Peace on Earth as long as those who live and rule in this world reject the God of righteousness, holiness, mercy and justice.
Because…
Peace is not the absence of conflict. Peace is the presence of God.
And every heart that does not “Prepare Him Room” will not be at peace.
Because…
The strength of this kingdom of peace lies in its power to rule over the human heart.
There is One who brings Peace to our hearts. His name is Jesus. His Kingdom is a kingdom of Peace.
We may enter into this kingdom when we agree to his power to save us and to his right to rule over us. We must agree to follow him in loving obedience and in submission to his indwelling Spirit.
“For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 14:17 NLT
Eating and Drinking
I love eating and drinking as much as the next person. I give a certain amount of time every day to considering what I will eat, how I will prepare the food, how I will harvest or buy the food, and so on. During the Christmas season that activity can be ramped up as we include cookies and sweets in our repertoire. We are going out more often, or having guests in, and looking forward to special meals and delicious drinks shared in cozy dinner parties, large family gatherings, or extravagant galas.
But these things are part of the world that we live in and while they can be delightful, they are only temporary. They will never truly satisfy us or bring us lasting peace on the inside.
It is important not to lose sight of that. It is all too easy for the allure of the temporary to dull our senses to the eternal. I will be the first to confess that this is sometimes my reality. That is why I am putting so much effort into writing Advent reflections.
Today
So…
- Today I remind myself that I belong to the kingdom of God and not the kingdoms of this world.
- Today I seek the presence of God once again.
- Today, I will seek to be at peace with God before ever concerning myself with being at peace with the world.
Because only God’s peace is permanent and true.
The Return of the King
One day, Jesus will return and he will rule forever in righteousness and with justice.
“The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.” Revelation 11:15
And then…”at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” Philippians 2:10
And then… there will be lasting peace.
Do you have peace?
Have the kingdoms of this world robbed you not only of joy, but also of peace?
Do you find your heart ruled by fear and anxiety?
If so, Jesus invites you to come to Him – to enter into his peace – to learn from him – to find rest for your souls (Matt.11:28-29)
If you need to know the peace of God please write to me. If God gives you some encouragement to share, please comment.
May God bless you, and keep you, and make his face to shine upon you, and give you peace.
