Sunday, December 29, 2019

Peace in His Presence

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the fold, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone all around them: and they were sore afraid.”Luke 2:8-9

Imagine lying in a field under the stars with your fluffy sheep nearby. A quiet, peaceful night turns to fear when suddenly, an angel appears with glory all around. Can you envision a bright, glorious light shining over a dark, quiet field? Wouldn’t you be afraid too? The angel tells them of the baby born, and then a great company of heavenly hosts appeared with the angel praising God. I’d be sore afraid (I’d be terrified) too.

But then fear turns to peace in the presence of the baby.

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”Luke 2:10-11

The shepherd’s fear turns to excitement. They are curious and believe what God tells them. They left their field to find the child. They got up, followed directions from God, and they found the Savior. Can you envision the scene? Are there any who are skeptics? There isn’t one mention of any doubting. They just set out to find the baby.

Do you hear the joy in their words when they say, “Let us go to Bethlehem?!” They believed and wanted to see what the Lord told them. Now imagine that peaceful scene when they see the baby and find peace in His presence. Fear turned to excitement, and peace returned when they believed God.

The shepherds followed God, came to find Jesus and worshipped Him. Then, they went out and told everyone they encountered that the Messiah was born. #ComeFindJesus #WorshipHim #GoAndTell 

How can we follow God as the shepherds did?
·     Through His Word: “The word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”Psalm 119:105
·     Through Circumstances: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all the ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”Psalm 3:5-6
If we live each day following the example of the shepherds, then, we too will find Jesus waiting for us when we seek Him. #GodsGuidance #GodsPeace

Let’s thank the Lord for shining a bright light to guide us to Him and follow Him daily––through His Word, through circumstances, prayer, and God’s people.  Fear turns to faith when we look to Him and believe what He tells us in His Word. Just like the shepherds, their fear vanished when they believed God, it turned to joy and excitement, and they wanted to go to Bethlehem to see Jesus.
I’m thankful for the peace God gives when we trust him. I’ve experienced that peace on the mission field when all seemed terrifying, and we thought our son was dying of Typhoid Fever. But, when trusting God, I experienced that peace that passes all understanding. I still can’t understand it, but I know God gave me peace. My guess is, you experience it too.
“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”Philippians 4:7 #GodsPresence # #GodsPeace

He is the Prince of Peace who gives us the gift of peace that is accessible whatever our circumstances while abiding in His presence. #PrinceofPeace #GiftofPeace
How have you experienced peace in His presence?