Peace
Article II in the 2022 Advent Devotionals series
“For unto us a child is born, unto 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 9:6-7
The second week of the Advent season is dedicated to peace. In Isaiah’s prophecy of the Messiah, he says that Christ will be called the “Prince of Peace.” To the people of Israel, whose homes and families were constantly under threat of fire and sword, the promise of a ruler who would bring peace must have touched a chord in their hearts.
It is a promise that holds great value for us, too. Just as the Israelites often rejected God’s rule and suffered war and exile as a result, we often choose to fight rather than to obey. We make war against God, fiercely defending some province of our hearts over which He desires to rule. We are wounded and weary, and still we strive with God and refuse to surrender-- perhaps out of fear of the retribution He might bring in His victory, or of what changes He will make as ruler. But God promises that His peace will be perfect, tempered with mercy and everlasting love. “For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed” (Isaiah 55:12).
There may be other ways in which our lives lack peace. We may be in conflict with relatives or friends. Some of us fight daily with ourselves. Some are engaged in a struggle to rebuild our lives after disaster, or to keep our families safe and provided for. Some are even reeling from the effects of a literal war of nation against nation. Christ’s coming brings hope even into these situations, for his rule, though it may not change our circumstances, promises an internal peace which will enable us to forgive those who cause our suffering, and will strengthen us to bear our own crosses with joy and perseverance. We can find comfort, too, in the remembrance that the coming of the Christ-child represents the hope we have of His future coming, when all hurts will be healed and all wars will cease.
During this Advent season, as we prepare our hearts to welcome Christ, let us examine our lives to recognize where we lack peace, and in those theaters of war let us accept His promise of an end to struggle and unrest. For He is indeed our Prince of Peace, who will instill in our hearts “the peace of God which passes all understanding,” a beautiful stillness and delight such as we have never known or imagined.
This article is part of a series. For more articles in this series, see below.
