O, what a glorious night, the
night of the Savior’s birth! But a
silent night it likely was not. Remember,
Bethlehem was bursting at the seams with all that came for the census; hear the
sound of shouting voices and shuffling feet.
On a dark hillside, a multitude of angels astounded a band of shepherds
with their hallelujah chorus. Even in
the solitude of the stable, a donkey brayed, sheep were bleeting, a woman cried
out in pain, a man prayed, and the cry of a baby was heard. But there was joy and purpose resounding in
this cacophony! Heaven had come to
earth, and there was no keeping quiet!
Now consider an average evening in
our homes. We settle in for what we
think will be a quiet evening after a long day at work or school, ready to just
put up our feet and rest a bit, and chaos breaks out. The phone starts ringing, TV starts blaring,
the kids start arguing, the microwave beeps, the oven buzzes, and then, sirens
start screaming from somewhere down the street.
All we want is to find a quiet place, maybe even a place to pray or just
reflect on our day in peace. But silence
is scarce, and for some it’s even scary.
We fill our moments with mayhem, then wonder why we’re so frayed and
tired.
Good news! Jesus is our quiet resting place! He is our Peace! The clamor of our lives is unavoidable,
but it does not have to wear us ragged.
In fact, a quick and quiet prayer, breathed in the middle of a storm is what
Jesus waits to hear. The busy bustle of Bethlehem on the night of the Babe’s
birth welcomed Him, it did not deter His coming! It did not interfere with the angels’ song;
it did not keep the shepherds from their faithful watch. Each individual in the Christmas story
entered into the fray, accompanied by the knowledge that the God of the
Universe was doing something magnificent.
And certainly He was. It may have
been a strange way to do it, but He was beginning His promised work of
salvation, His gift to the world He created.
“Then in despair I
bowed my head; There is no peace on earth I said,
for hate is strong, and
mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men!”
Then peeled the bells
more loud and deep; God is not dead, nor doth He sleep!
The wrong shall fail,
the Right prevail, with peace on earth, good will to men!”
So,
when you find yourself this year wondering where the peace and quiet is, pause
in wonder at the Peace that Jesus is.
When all the world would say “there is no peace”, when they search for
it in all the wrong places, be His reminder that Peace is real and it can be
found in Jesus.
May
this be your Merriest Christmas ever, and 2015 your best year yet!
From
our home to yours,
Roger and Angela
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