Devotion:
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Read Isaiah 9:6-7.
Isaiah prophesied at a time when Israel was struggling against superior forces. He saw the Northern Kingdom fall to the Assyrians and the Southern Kingdom being threatened by the Babylonians, who would finally defeat them and take them into exile. So the people longed for a time of peace. In these verses, Isaiah was promising the coming of the Messiah, the Christ, and one of the most appealing titles he assigns to the Messiah is that of Prince of Peace.
The Hebrew word for peace is “shalom,” and while it means the absence of war, it also means much more than that. Shalom includes a sense of well-being, fulfillment, and wholeness. Each of us yearns for this, and the world needs this now as much as it did in the time of Isaiah. This week in our devotional reading, we will focus on passages that describe the peace that Christ brings to us. As we approach Christmas, let us remember that we have taken the Prince of Peace as our Lord and Savior. Let us open our hearts to receive the give of peace, of shalom, through Him.
Personal Worship Option:
Gracious God, help each of us to embrace the Prince of Peace. This may mean being an agent of peace myself. I need your help to be that, as it is not easy in this divisive world in which we live. Come, Lord Jesus, in this time of Advent and show us how. Amen.
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