The Shalom Peace of Jesus

Christmas day 5

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:14


“A great many people are trying to make peace, but that has already been done. God has not left it for us to do; all we have to do – is to enter into it.” D.L Moody

 

  • Good morning friend! Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and he longs for you to enter into His eternal rest today. Pray for his Spirit to bring you fresh revelation as you pour over his Word.
  • Open your Bible and read Luke 2:8-20. Write verse 14 in your journal along with the meaning of peace/shalom (below in the devotional).

The Shalom Peace of Jesus

Peace. Do you long for spiritual rest today?

When the angels announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds, they were praising God and saying PEACE had come to earth. What could they possibly have known that caused them to rejoice so greatly? History tells us there was much political unrest and fear in the Jewish world at the time. So why rejoice, and what did it signify?

The Hebrew word for “peace” is shalom. Its deepest definition is:”the spiritual harmony brought by an individual’s restoration with God.”

The peace Jesus came to bring wasn’t what the world (including the shepherds) was looking for at the time. Physical safety and political harmony was a longing and priority, but not necessarily an immediate result of His birth. This was why they were disappointed and didn’t recognize Jesus; Yet, the purpose of his birth was far greater.

The true reason why Jesus came was to bring salvation and peace between God and us! The sacrifice of His life on the cross became a bridge between our ugly sin and a Holy God. His resurrection made the Holy Spirit available, bringing us eternal PEACE!

Hallelujah! What a Savior! Saying “yes” to Jesus brings us REST. Rest from our own works, rest from our sin, rest from anxiety, anger, and depression, rest from obligations, rest in our relationship with Him and with others, and even rest from spiritual striving!

The true meaning of peace is this. Jesus paid it ALL.

How we desperately need Him today. As it was 2,000 years ago, so it is now. There is much political unrest and confusion all around, yet we can access personal tranquility, right dab smack in the middle of all the chaos!

Is your heart frenzied with all the holiday fuss? Are you wearied from scheduled time frames that bring frustration, futility, and loneliness? Does our current world situation bring you fear and unrest?

Take a deep breath; there is hope! God has already provided.

Rejoice! You can be the embodiment of peace as you access Jesus by letting him reign in you, through His Spirit. For us to have this access is the very reason He came.

There is a place in our heart that can be quieted by no one but him. Pray with me today:

“Dear Jesus, we need your peace. According to the Word, we believe you are the One who brings perfect peace because you are the Prince of Peace! (Isaiah 9:6) I ask in your name to calm and quiet our busy souls, making our heart one with yours. Help us to keep our minds stayed on you (Isaiah 26:3). Fill us to overflowing with your Spirit, and bring eternal peace to our body, soul and spirit. We receive and rejoice in the REST which only you can bring! Thank you for coming to make peace available and help us to celebrate its true meaning by letting it reign in the middle of our busy lives. We love you and are so grateful for the gift of your life to us. Amen.”

Let the SHALOM of Christ rule in your heart!

Questions to Ponder

  • Ponder Isaiah 26:3. “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You. Because he trusts in You.” Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you to the brim and overflowing every day as you are aware of His Presence moment by moment. Tell Him you want more of Him and his Truth. Make it a goal of yours to allow His Spirit to dominate your thoughts as you go about this busy holiday season.
  • Think about it. Are your thoughts dwelling on Jesus and are you trusting him? Write your pondering in your journal.

Faith-Filled Idea:

  • As you are praying for the peace of Jesus this Christmas, make every effort to keep peace in your home. Be a peace-loving mom by simply being nice to your family. Try to avoid things or situations which may steal your peace and make you grouchy. When you get stressed, decompress with your favorite relaxing activity such as a long bubble bath, a walk outside in the brisk air, or simply a nap. Be sure to plan downtime and relaxation in your family’s schedule too.

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Mari Jo Mast
Latest posts by Mari Jo Mast (see all)

11 Comments on “The Shalom Peace of Jesus”

  1. Wow! Mari Jo! I am just reading this and geting caught up from my vacation. Thank you for such a wise and timely devotional. I love how you listed all of the things that Jesus brings us peace from. I copied those down in my journal and plan on praying over them for myself and my family. I admire your insight and faithfulness. Love you! 🙂

  2. Thank you for sharing this devotion, Mary Jo. It really blessed me today! I have made it a point this Christmas to make plans and traditions that are manageable. This time been much less stressful and a lot more fun for me. I think these things allow room for God to work, but you make an excellent point that our ultimate goal is peace within our souls and peace between God and us.

    1. Thank you Heather, I’m glad it ministered to you! It is really hard not to “bite off more than we can chew” during this season! I’m trying to do the same as you and am thankful for friends like you, because it’s an encouragement to know we are not alone and are likeminded. Yes, and I think receiving peace with God helps to serenely calm our busy souls in every area of our lives.

    1. You’re welcome and thank you Daphne! It’s great to have you back in the States again. I’m thankful for you!

  3. Peace between us and God! What else could we truly desire? You did a beautiful job of putting your heart into words.

    1. Amen, Tara and thank you for your kind words! ❤️ I’m so greatful For your friendship in my life!

  4. Oh, Mari Jo, this is so beautiful! The peace of Jesus is truly what we all need more than anything! Jesus is our peace! I love how you pointed out that Jesus is our peace between sinful man and God! What an amazing truth! Thank you so much for this!

    1. Thank you so much Deb! Amen, it sure is! I’m so grateful to God for providing a way for us to know Him. We are so blessed!

  5. This is absolutely perfect Marijo! Peace is never something you can have too much of. I have been making an intentional effort to plan holiday activities that have a Christ centered purpose and that we are making memories that are not stressful, because it won’t be memorable or fun if we as moms are putting too much pressure and expectation on the holidays. I love the history that you wrote about bringing it all together so eloquently. This is written so beautifully. Thank you so much for this reminder right smack in the middle of this season. Pray about each activity that your family is wanting to partake in and make sure you have peace about it before being a part of it. When we are feeling overextended or needing a break, I find it the perfect opportunity to snuggle up together as a family for a favorite holiday movie. Thanks so much, great job!

    1. Thank you Brandi, you are such a great encouragement and example to me! I love your intentional way of living life…something I’m praying for God to work and remind me of daily. I pray for this to be the best and most meaningful season you’ve encountered so far! Love you dearly!

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