Advent -Week 2 : Ignite the Candle of PEACE

Advent week 2: PEACE

During this week's study of PEACE beloved, we want to slow our minds and hearts to consider the Prince of Peace, and all the good benefits of the peace Jesus has secured for us. First and foremost, let's look back at the FALL in Genesis 3, which set off a chain of events to include hostility between God and man. John 3:16, "For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." was a divine directive to repair the damage caused by sin; in other words, Jesus came to bring peace (harmony) between God and man, reconciling us to our loving and patient Father. God desires a relationship with his creation, and Jesus is the mediator and unifier, who by his death on the cross reunited an undeserving people to their faithful God. Peace!

Peace, in context, based on its Hebrew meaning is Shalom. Biblically, Shalom means wholeness, the complete flourishing of a person’s life. Biblically, shalom is often used to reference a person’s life being whole with God. A great example of this flourishing can be seen in the garden of Eden (Gen. 1:31), God creates and intuitively designs his good world to operate in harmony with all of creation and with God.

This is the Peace we pursue daily sisters, harmony with creation (one another) and with God- the creator. We strive to enjoy peace in our whole life, not apart from God. We settle ourselves in the peace Christ left us as he returned to heaven and says, "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful." (John 14:27) We do all, as it's up to us to live in peace on this horizontal plane, remembering that our peace in the world is dependent on our peace with God.