Peace On Earth

2003 Advent Devotional Collection

Thursday, December 18
Reading for Today: Luke 1:80

Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to visit his people and has come to visit his people and has redeemed them. As you, my son, shall be called the prophet of the Glorious God for you will prepare the way for the Messiah…….Luke 68:79

The Voice That is Great Within Us …

We don’t need a newsflash from ABC, CBS, NBC, or FOX to tell us that Jesus’ birthday is coming. In fact, that information might bring a lawsuit by some organization! No matter, His birthday anniversary, as we know it, will be here soon. Will it be a harbinger of PEACE for the world or another source of conflicting ideas? An old tradition says that every herd of cattle in the world will stand up on Christmas Eve to honor the Christ child! What could cattle know that we have missed?

Many Christmases have been spent in mortal conflict with other nations of the world. And killing one another does not limit itself to holidays! Where is the PEACE that Jesus promised? Could it be hiding under the Christmas tree, wrapped in a glittering package with your name on it? Or is it something you forgot to bring out or are saving for a more appropriate time?

The Good News of Christmas is that PEACE could be ours in our family’s celebration, in our city’s celebration, etc. It is all around us, we are told. The suggestion is that we are carrying PEACE in our hearts where God is firmly planted…isn’t HE?

Prayer for Today:
Lord, open our hearts today to receive your gracious gift to a needy world. Strengthen us to serve you more faithfully to bring your peace to those we love.

Merry Christmas to You and Yours!
The Al J. Family

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Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
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