He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach the ends of the earth. And he will be our peace.

Devotion based on Micah 5:4,5

Peace is the absence of trouble, tension, disaster, and surprise. Peace is the presence of safety, security, contentment, and relief. When you experience peace, you’d like things to stay just as they are. You hope that nothing changes.

Unfortunately, earthly peace will always change. Earthly peace is always short-lived. Happy relationships bring peace, but can you guarantee that even for one fleeting year, your solid relationship will never once face discord? Christmas presents bring a little peace, but the same gadgets that cause a hearty “Thanks!” are soon broken or forgotten. And how many people ever get everything on their Christmas lists? And even if they did, would they have lasting peace?

For lasting Christmas peace, we look away from earthly things and look to the Good Shepherd, Jesus. His peace is not only for a time or isolated to one area. Jesus’ peace cannot be overruled. In power and compassion, his greatness reaches everywhere, all the time, penetrating into our hearts and lives.

Take note especially of this sentence of God’s Word: “And he will be their peace.” Jesus himself is our peace. It’s not just that he knows where to find peace or shows us the way to peace—he is our peace! In Jesus, we stand confidently under God’s favor. In Jesus, we live with the comfort of God’s abiding presence and almighty power. We know exactly what our eternal future will be. Jesus alone provides eternal safety, security, contentment, and relief. Our peace will never change because Jesus is our peace!

Prayer: