“He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.  And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach the ends of the earth.  And he will be their peace.” - Micah 5:4-5

What is peace?

Peace is the absence of trouble, tension, disaster and surprise.  Peace is the presence of safety, security, contentment and relief.  When you are at peace, there’s nothing else you need.  You’d like things to stay just as they are.  You hope that nothing changes.

Unfortunately, earthly “peace” will always change.  Earthly peace is always short-lived.  Christmas meals bring some peace, but just hours later you are hungry again.  Happy relationships bring peace, but can you guarantee that even for one fleeting year, your solid relationship will never once face discord?  Christmas presents bring a little peace, but the very same gadgets that cause a hearty, “Thanks!” are soon broken or forgotten.  And how many people ever get everything on their Christmas lists?  And even if they did, would they have lasting peace? 

For lasting Christmas peace, we look away from earthly stuff and we look to the Good Shepherd, Jesus. “He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.  And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach the ends of the earth.  And he will be their peace.”  Jesus’ peace is not only for a time.  Jesus’ peace is not isolated to one area.  Jesus’ peace cannot be overruled.  In power and compassion, his greatness reaches everywhere, all the time, penetrating our hearts to the core.

Let’s look especially to the last sentence: “And he will be their peace.”  Jesus himself is our peace.  Not Christmas meals, relationships or presents, but Jesus.  It’s not just that he knows where to find peace, or that he shows us the way to peace – he IS our peace!  In Jesus, we stand confidently under God’s favor.  In Jesus, we live with the comfort of God’s abiding presence and almighty power. We know exactly what our eternal future will be.  Jesus alone provides eternal safety, security, contentment and relief.  In him, our peace will never change.   

What is peace?  Jesus is peace.  When you have him, you have it all. 

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, prevent me from looking to earthly avenues of peace and thinking they will last.  Instead, turn me toward Jesus, so that I might find true peace that lasts.  Then help me to enjoy all the other blessings on earth you provide in a way that honors you.  Amen.

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