In our modern age, peace seems elusive. When meetings and deadlines fill our calendars, we often find ourselves wrapped in tension and stress, with peace as a distant afterthought. We may long for the peace that only Jesus can give, but calmness during December is fleeting at best. How does one rest in God’s peace during such an overloaded season?
Be Intentional
The first step in living in biblical peace is intentionality. As believers, we must make room daily in our hustling lives to be still and quiet before the Lord. The sacredness of time spent in reading God’s Word fortifies us against the forces of this dark world that threaten to undo us. I highly encourage you to find a Bible reading plan to saturate yourself in God’s Word. Devotional books are helpful in their own rights, but they should not supplant the daily reading of our Bibles. We must treasure the words of God over the words of man. My next blog post in a couple of weeks will offer numerous suggestions for bible reading plans for next year.
Further, cultivating a deep, rich prayer life does not happen by accident. Our prayers should overflow from a heart of thankfulness and awe upon reading our Bibles. If you find yourself unsure of how to develop a deeper prayer life, I encourage you to pick up a copy of the Valley of Vision, as it will show you how to pray beyond your current circumstances. This treasury of Puritan prayers demonstrates a depth of knowledge and love of our God. So often we get stuck in asking God for help amidst our life situations, but we never tend to our prayer life as a means of growing in our faith. Our prayers should reflect our growing sanctification.
Sing of Christmas
Intentionality begins with filling our hearts and minds with God’s Word. Additionally, many hymns and poems have been written throughout the centuries after Christ’s birth that help us meditate on the reason why we celebrate Christmas. By utilizing these beloved resources, we carry God’s peace from our devotional time into our everyday days.
I have selected three poems from the nineteenth century to share today that often calm my weary spirit during Advent. Two of these poems will probably be familiar as they have been assimilated into Christian song through the years. The word “peace” does not occur in any of these writings. Yet the theme of peace is evident. May these glorious poems encourage your faith and lead you on the path of peace this season.
In the Bleak Midwinter by Christina Rossetti, 1872
In the bleak midwinter,
frosty wind made moan,
earth stood hard as iron,
water like a stone;
snow had fallen, snow on snow,
snow on snow,
in the bleak midwinter,
long ago.
Heaven cannot hold Him,
nor earth sustain;
Heav’n and earth shall flee away
when He comes to reign:
in the bleak midwinter
a stable place sufficed
the Lord God incarnate,
Jesus Christ.
Angels and archangels
may have gathered there,
cherubim and seraphim
thronged the air;
but His mother only,
in her maiden bliss,
worshiped the Beloved
with a kiss.
What can I give Him,
poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd,
I would bring a lamb;
if I were a wise man,
I would do my part;
yet what I can I give Him:
give my heart.
Once in Royal David’s City by Cecil Alexander, 1848
Once in royal David’s city
stood a lowly cattle shed,
where a mother laid her baby
in a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little child.
He came down to earth from heaven
who is God and Lord of all,
and His shelter was a stable,
and His cradle was a stall:
with the poor, and meek, and lowly,
lived on earth our Savior holy.
and our eyes at last shall see Him,
through His own redeeming love;
for that child so dear and gentle
is our Lord in heav’n above,
and He leads His children on
to the place where He is gone.
Not in that poor lowly stable,
with the oxen standing by,
we shall see him, but in heaven,
set at God’s right hand on high;
when like stars His children crowned
all in white shall wait around.
Christmas Eve by Christina Rossetti, 1893
Christmas hath darknessBrighter than the blazing noon,
Christmas hath a chillness
Warmer than the heat of June,
Christmas hath a beauty
Lovelier than the world can show:
For Christmas bringeth Jesus,
Brought for us so low.
Earth, strike up your music,
Birds that sing and bells that ring;
Heaven hath answering music
For all Angels soon to sing:
Earth, put on your whitest
Bridal robe of spotless snow:
For Christmas bringeth Jesus,
Brought for us so low.
Kim has been married to her college sweetheart, Jason, for 24 years and they have one son who is a high school senior. Most recently, Kim completed her Ph.D in Church Music and Worship from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. She has presented at Evangelical Theological Society and The Society of Christian Scholarship in Music, and her works have appeared in The Hymn, Artistic Theologian, and Baptist History and Heritage Journal.
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