Isaiah 9: 6 – 7 “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end… The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”
When God was giving the Prophet Isaiah this prophecy, there was no such thing as peace. The Jews were steadily moving further away from God and leaving His commandments. It’s possible that wicked King Manasseh, the most wicked of the kings of Judah, ordered Isaiah’s murder. And yet, God gave this prophecy. And this prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
When Elizabeth and Mary come together, John, Elizabeth’s baby, leaps for joy in the womb and both Elizabeth and John are filled with the Holy Spirit. When the Angel Gabriel went to Mary and to Joseph individually and greeted them, it is likely that the first thing the Angel said was “peace be with you.” And when the angels appeared to the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem, they proclaimed “peace on earth, good will to men.” In each of these situations, the Holy Spirit was there, and the mark of the Holy Spirit is peace. In Galatians 5: 22 – 23 we are told, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.”
Throughout Jesus’ ministry, He proved that He was truly the Prince of Peace. Whether calming storms on the Sea of Galilee or casting out demons, Jesus spoke peace into situations and brought peace to those who were troubled. And this peace wasn’t just some kind of “feel good” temporary manipulation. This peace was deep and abiding.
Peace is something that many people pursue, but sometimes it seems that the more one pursues peace, the more elusive it becomes. There are many methods touted as ways to achieve peace, but peace is not a thing. Peace is found in the person of Jesus Christ. Philippians 4: 4-7 tells us “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Today, we don’t need one more program or one more diet to achieve peace, even though programs and diets can certainly be useful. But the “diet” we need is a diet of our thoughts.
1. Rejoice in the Lord always! Notice, there are no restrictions placed on this rejoicing. We are not advised to merely rejoice when we feel like it, but to rejoice always, trusting that God will work things out for us.
2. Let your gentleness be evident to all…why? Because the Lord is near. If the Lord is really near, you don’t have to force because the Author of the Universe, the Supreme Authority, is near.
3. In every situation, in prayer and thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
4. And what is the result of these practices? The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, sometimes we feel as if you are very far away and we are lost children, desperate for peace. Please, Lord, send your Holy Spirit peace into our hearts and minds and spirits. Help us to remember that you are very near indeed, closer than our heartbeats. And thank you for sending your Son Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Amen.
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