The Peace Candle - Advent Week 4

“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

Imagine it’s a Monday evening. You’ve had a long and hard day. Whether it’s due to the busyness of preparing for Christmas, the hustle and grind of work, or just the overwhelming sense of all the schoolwork you have before the holidays, you’re just tired. And you’re longing for some rest for your weary mind and heart. You think, let me just make it to the holidays and then I’ll rest. But in the back of your mind you have this little voice that tells you everything you must do and what you must get everyone for Christmas. And you wonder, is there such a thing as rest? Is there peace?

You and I were made to know peace. In the beginning of the Bible, when man was created, we didn’t have a worry in the world. All we knew was peace, joy, comfort and an amazing sense of awe because we were in the full and perfect presence of God. This perfect, glorious presence gave us peace beyond our wildest imaginations. But when man sinned, we lost our ability to go into His presence. And without the Peace Giver’s presence, we are left trying to figure out how to make our own peace. So, we work hard because we hope success will bring us peace. We purchase nice things for Christmas hoping they will help fill our void of peace, but they fail.

But, there is a gift that brings all that we long for. It’s a gift we all long to experience but are unable to obtain on our own: the gift of peace, of restoration and joy. This is the gift that God promised when we sinned and lost access to His presence. That we could be given back access and know peace that we’d never lose again. This promise was fulfilled in a manger on a very stressful night.

You see on that night we find a mother about to give birth to a child, and a husband rushing to try to find shelter in the middle of the night. They knew stress, anxiety, and weariness after traveling so far to come home for the census. Yet in the middle of all that stress a child who is called Wonderful Counselor, and the Prince of Peace was born. That night of restlessness and exhaustion, peace entered the world and His name was Jesus. He is Emanuel which literally means “God with us.”

Peace was born in Bethlehem that night. Because Jesus has come, weary people like you and me now have access back to the only one who can give us rest. Will you come to Him or will you continue to try to figure out how you can create peace on your own?

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Suggested Prayer 

Father, we are tired and weary. We long to feel your peace. Forgive us for looking to other things to satisfy only what you can. Help us to look to you to find rest for our weary souls. We lift our lives up to you trusting that in you we’ll find our peace.

- Jarrian “JayWill” Wilson - Church Planting Resident, Riverside Community Church- Columbia, SC