to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
There is, perhaps, no greater time than the Christmas season to remember that Jesus is our Prince of Peace.
In the chaos of gift-shopping, and the usual, subsequent fretting over bills... in the working to catch up and make ends meet... in the worry and excitement that comes with seeing family... we get so caught up in celebrating the birth of Jesus that we often forget to take the time out and seek Him. To breathe. To meditate on our wonderful Savior.
To find Peace. That all-too-elusive reality, so rare it can often feel like mere sentiment.
Peace, for when my world is spinning out of my control; when the work is piling up, when the dishes and laundry and bedrooms and children all need cleaned; when the bills are coming in faster than the money to pay them; when everyone seems to be moving quicker than I can ever keep up.
Peace, for when my Spirit is frantic, then worn out, then restless again; when sleep won't come; when my well of tears is long since dry; when I wonder, to the depths of my soul, just how God expects me to succeed in the face of my own human tendency to fail.
Peace, for when we're caught up in the wonder and the glory and the mystery of God, and are then reminded by the Enemy how truly unworthy we really are.
One of my favorite songs is by Rich Mullins. It is a prayer, a cry, and a heartbroken plea:
Hold me, Jesus,
For I'm shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my Glory
Would you be my Prince of Peace?
I just read this, Randy... and my heart's prayer and cry is what you shared from Rich Mullins' song... Thank you for sharing this! Have you tho't of putting your devotionals in booklet form? I'd buy a copy! While I'm at it, can I share some of these on my website... giving you credit of course along with a link to your blog...? (If you'd rather I did not, that's okay!)
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