Rachel Parks
John 14:27
Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
Welcome to the Bridgeway Christian Church Daily Advent Devotional for Friday, December 13th, 2024. My name is Rachel, and I serve as a volunteer in Kidsway at Bridgeway. Today I’m going to talk about peace in times of stress.
It seems to me that the world we live in today is too familiar with the feelings of stress and being overwhelmed. When asking how a friend is, it is all too common to hear responses like, we have been so busy, and I have a lot going on. I watch as people rush from one thing to the next, trying to fit everything into their busy lives.
I am certainly no exception. Sometimes we build stress into our lives through overbooking ourselves, saying yes to too many activities, and placing unreasonable expectations on ourselves. But also, stress enters our lives in ways that we may have little to no control over.
Work environments, expectations, family dynamics, health issues, and financial burdens are just a few. During the holiday season, that feeling of stress only seems to grow as we shop, budget, plan, cook, clean, and get those holiday cards in the mail. Our already long to-do lists only grow, and the joy and the significance of the holiday tends to get lost in the frenzy.
It could be possible that on the outside, everything looks polished with a perfect bow on top, but on the inside, our hearts are far from at peace. I suspect that we have become so accustomed to a busy pace of life and managing high levels of stress that we would be caught off guard by the notion that one’s life, even a life full of pressure and tension, could be defined as peaceful. As I reflect on the scriptures that describe the birth of Jesus, I see many conditions that we would deem stressful.
The perceived scandal of Mary’s pregnancy, King Herod’s desire to see baby Jesus killed, and no room at the inn forcing Mary to birth Jesus in a stable are just a few that jump to my mind. I can’t think of anything more stressful. And yet, as we read the full account of Jesus’ birth and life, we see how perfectly God took care of every detail and the miraculous plans of salvation that became available because of Jesus’ birth.
The birth of God’s Son was only the beginning of a perfectly executed larger plan. Jesus invites us to experience peace. This peace cannot be found by searching the world.
It is a peace that only comes through knowing Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Prince of Peace. This peace is a peace that surpasses understanding as described in Philippians 4-7. Jesus extends a hand toward us, welcoming us into His stillness that highlights His presence in our lives.
In this season of Advent, I pray that each of us take moments to pause and accept that invitation of peace, knowing that the same God found in the Scriptures is the God that cares for us and our needs. As I close today’s Advent devotion and prayer, I’d like to read Isaiah 26-3. You keep Him in perfect peace, whose mind has stayed on You because He trusts in You, Lord God.
I pray that each of us would claim Isaiah 26-3 over our lives as we find ourselves encountering stressful moments. I give You, Lord, our minds, asking that You help us keep our eyes and hearts on You. Jesus, help us increase our trust in You because You are worthy and because You have overcome the world.
John 16-33 tells us that we can find peace in knowing that You have already overcome all that is burdening us. Thank You for the peace that You bring to Your people. Thank You for being a God that cares so deeply about us and desires to bring us peace.
We seek You this Advent season. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai.