December 19th

Isaiah 9:6 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.

Prince of Peace, this is one of my favorite attributes of Jesus. I have learned to rely heavily on my Prince of Peace during turbulent times. He bestows peace in the midst of the worst storms. Peace is not the absence of trouble it is the presence of God! You can have His peace in the midst of the worst situation.

Prince here in Hebrew means what you would think -prince, commander, keeper, chief, captain, ruler. Of course capitalized it indicates royalty as well.

Peace here is the Hebrew word Shalom, and if you have been paying attention to sermons in the last year, you already know that Shalom means completeness, soundness, welfare, and peace as in “may you be all that God created you to be,” – that kind of complete peace. There is no counterfeiting the Prince of Peace. That peace is not happiness, or satisfaction with the “things” of this world. It is not absence of trouble. It is not even about everybody getting along. The peace offered by Jesus is undeniably divine in origin and cannot be faked. It is brought only by the presence of God. Jesus declared that He gives us peace and not just any peace, HIS peace.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Colossians 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Interesting that Paul uses the word “rule” here when talking about the peace of Christ. He doesn’t imply that we should let the peace of Christ tag along with us wherever we go. He says let it rule us! I don’t think we get to experience peace any other way, we have to let it rule us. Is there such thing as a little peace? Nah, we either have peace or we don’t, there is no adding a little bit of peace to the storm. So let the Prince of Peace rule you, your heart, your mind and your life. The Prince of Peace is alive and active, He is not standing by watching the whirlwind, He rules!

Romans 16:20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The Prince of Peace wants to be active in your life. He wants to guard your heart and mind, so let Him rule! What do the verses just before that reveal to us? What do they instruct us to do so that we have the peace of God guarding us?

Philippians 4:4-6 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Then verse 7 -And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

As Paul said -The Lord is near. So let go of the anxious thoughts. This Christmas let the Prince of Peace rule in your heart and mind. Let Him be near, right there in the middle of everything.

Jesus my Prince of Peace, thank you for being willing to be right in the middle of the storm with me! Forgive me for trying my hardest to control things and being anxious or worried. I ask you to rule over me please. Help me to remember you are near, you have everything in your hands, you hold today and the future. Help me to let go of the details. Show me how to pray for every situation I face and to be thankful in all things. Help me to rejoice ALWAYS! Thank you for being my Prince of Peace, help me to rest in you despite the busyness or the storm around me.