God With Us Brings Peace

Luke 2:8-14 (NIV)

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,

    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

For most of us Christmas is not a peaceful time.  The influence of cultural pressures has shaped the season into a stressful time of hurried busyness that leaves us frenzied and frazzled, worried and wondering just how all this fits together with the true reason for the season. After all there are decorations to put up, trees that need trimmed, presents to figure out, buy and then get wrapped, crowds to deal with, parties to plan and attend, houses to clean, meals to make, goodies to bake.  There are programs at school and at church. And all that while we get ready to close out another year and a week later start a new one.

How peaceful is your Christmas season? If we’re honest, we might choose words like busy, hectic, and frantic to describe our lives this time of year—or maybe all year round. Maybe it’s an overloaded schedule that robs you of peace. Or maybe it’s something more: relational conflict, pressure at work, a lost job, an illness. You name it. For many of us, peace sounds like a long way away. A good idea. A nice thought for the holidays. Something we long for. If only we could feel the peace of God with Us!

1.    Peace brings wholeness to the brokenness within us

2.    Peace brings quietness to the noises that bombard us

3.    Peace brings calmness to the calamities that surround us

4.    Peace brings praise to the messages that come from us