The Advent of Christ -The Road to Perfect Peace

“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!” John 16:33 (KJV)
“But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.”
Luke 11:28(NLT).

Peace is woven quite cleverly through God’s perfect design of creation. In the setting of things into motion, the giving of free will, the very desire to love and be loved in return, to steward all of creation and share the things of Him with every generation to follow us, what can be said but that He left us with absolute comPleteness that has only ever been. When much of the world wonders what the purpose of all this is, we who follow Him know. It is to love Him, love others as we love ourselves, and share the hope we have in Him. How could this give us anything but a sense of peace when we can rest assured that all things have been considered and that it is well and good?

Through a salvation promised even as a consequence was delivered in the garden of Eden, Christ was and is peace, the blessed gift of the absEnce of chaos. He removed the obligation to sin and replaced it with eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to feel. This opens the opportunity to build a relAtionship with not only God and other people but also with the most elusive of all self. Such a difficult relationship to build with self, but God has blessed us with His Word to teach us every step to refine us. As we work on this for the rest of our time here on earth, our identity in Him grows, and the unshakeable seCurity that He is in control of all things roots deeply.

Having such purpose and knowing it will take all the time we are given in our life should fill us with peace because God has been so thoughtful and intentional to think of giving us the fullness of what it means to live life and how to live it to the fullest. He meant for us to be able to weather the storms He knew would come; knew, too, they would make us stronger by His strength, not our own. When Jesus said He would give peace, not as the world gives it, He explains again in Luke 11:28, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.” (NLT).

Woven in those words is the promise of peace our king longs so deeply for, but it requires walking away from the ways and world we once loved. Requires our turning to Him, seeking, finding, and following Him all the days of our lives, even when it hurts. Wrapping ourselves in peace that surpasses human understanding. We turn and find ourselves greeting our Savior and His followers who are walking the same road. The road that leads to where we long to be, not here, but in Heaven where it is perfect peace with Him.
Shalom