Sunday Psalm: Prince of Peace

Into the storms of my life
You enter
with a mighty roar
You announce to the heavenlys
the Prince of Peace
has arrived
yet in all Your might
You speak
with such love
and care
right when i need You
the most

The wonder of it all
lies not in Your might
but in Your heart
for even though
humanity bungled the path
You made a way
through time and space
to bring us back to You
the Prince of Peace
comes not only to save
but to restore
and make us whole again.

The Gift of Christmas
set on display
the heart of God
the Prince of Peace
the wonder of God with us
for all the world to see
forevermore!

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If you too need a reminder of what the Prince of Peace came to do for you, visit the gospel of Matthew, and watch the video by Hillsong United here.

Silent Night

Silent night, Holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and child
Holy infant, tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

Since becoming a mother, I realized that probably one of the most peaceful moments I ever had with each of my children was the moment I first held them, as i gazed upon them with awestruck wonder at the precious gifts God had given to my husband and I.

Mary must have had a moment like that too…but not quite.

There would have been quite a bunch of noise going on, what with the angelic chorus singing over the flocks, a jam packed town with no space left in the inn, and likely Joseph’s concern mixed with Mary’s cries for deliverance.

Then Jesus was born.

Silent Night brilliantly captures the wonder of a virgin giving birth, and the Son of God coming down to earth as a baby.

Peace entered the world as the Prince of Peace.

And for one moment in history, all was calm, and all was bright.

Then the shepherds arrived to gaze at their new King, Mary and Joseph still had to head to take part in the census, and the angel would shortly arrive to yell them to flee the wrath of Herod.

Jesus, the Prince of Peace,was born into the hustle and bustle of real daily life.

He had to endure long days of travel on the road, becoming a refugee, learning a craft from His earthly father, being a brother and son, and the one many muttered gossip about over the years.

Our Messiah left His peace filled place in heaven to bring us the peace our souls and spirits desperately needed.

And when each of us grasp that truth? 

We too can experience the peace of Heaven, and lift up the song of praise our Prince of Peace wells up in our hearts!

#theADVENTurecontinues

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under pressure

In Me you can have peace. In the world you have pressure, but be daring! I have conquered the world – John 16:33 ERV

“Under Pressure” by Queen is one of the most popular songs of past 35 years, not just because it is catchy, but all of us can relate…

We all feel like a pressure cooker ready to blow off steam.

Jesus gets it. I am sure He felt the pressure the world tries to put on us to behave just so, look this way, live up to others’ expectations.

That is why this verse is so stunning in both its simplicity and depth.

We can have peace, because the Prince of Peace conquered the world.

Not just as God, but also as a flesh and blood man.

We serve a daring God, who doesn’t take the easy way or short cut to getting the job done right.

Our prayer life is to be no different.

Ask Him to be daring, and give you the peace He offers in the middle of the pressure cooking around you.

He can, and He will.

His peace releases our spirit from the pressure exerted onto it by outside forces.

And in Him, we have access to that peace at any time.

The dare is ours: to confidently approach our Prince of Peace, and believe He will give us the peace we seek.

May we come running to You when the pressure begins to build, and rest in Your embrace, Prince of Peace!

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