For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. (Isaiah 9:5-7 ESV).
Merry Christmas! After the crush of shopping and the holiday traffic, a friend exclaimed, “We need peace on earth, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:14.) But what really is “peace on earth”? Peace is more than the absence of conflict. It is more than warm feelings or sentimentality. God’s peace is much richer. God offers us shalom, which refers to a peace that flows from all things being in proper harmony. Shalom points to wholeness, wholesomeness, and flourishing within God’s guidelines for living. It means my heart, soul, mind, and strength are in alignment with God. My security and rest are rooted in God’s goodness and blessing.
Before Adam and Eve fell into sin, they knew this peace in a perfect way. Life was in balance. And God declared it “very good.” There was fellowship with God, companionship within humanity, and harmony with creation. Adam and Eve experienced God’s blessing as they lived lives of meaningful, joyful service. But we live in a world that is fragmented, filled with discord, insecurity, and uncertainty. Our hope is in the Prince of Peace. The good news of Christmas is that the Prince of Peace has come. And through his redeeming work we can experience the richness of God’s peace: “peace with God” (forgiveness and reconciliation with God) and the “peace of God” (his security and wholeness) in our lives.
All of those things that would seek to overwhelm us, stealing our peace, can be challenging to face with confidence. Today, as the activities of the day unfold, recognize that all of it merely serves as a reminder that God has overcome our greatest enemy and given us eternal life, full of peace and the assurance of His presence.