Can you imagine what it felt like for the shepherds to hear, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” And can you imagine them witnessing the sky being basked in brilliant light when heavenly hosts appeared to announce, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased”? What a moment they would never forget!
God’s messengers announced the long-awaited news of the birth of the Savior. They not only proclaimed His birth, but also the joy and peace that comes from only Him.
Sadly, not everyone experiences peace. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report that showed life expectancy is falling, driven by suicides and drug overdoses. The report shows that drug overdoses were up 9.6 percent in 2017 over 2016. It went on to say that there are now 14 suicides per every 100,000 people.
These are staggering numbers. How can this be? We live in a country where we have access to anything we want. We have Big Screen TV’s. We have $5 cups of coffee. We have smart phones. We have sexual liberty and tolerance. We have nice homes. We have fame. We have fortune. We have anything we want at our finger tips. So, why on earth do we see these numbers from the CDC?
The reality is, things can bring us “joy” only but for a short season. These things can only bring us “peace” for a moment.
But there is a true joy, and a peace that lasts. Psalm 16:11 says, “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” True joy is being in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
It’s when we fill our lives with everything but Him, that we find ourselves feeling empty, lonely and depressed. The only one who can truly satisfy the human heart is the One who made it. Just as a square peg cannot fill a round hole, neither can the “God-shaped hole” inside each of us be filled by anyone or anything other than God.
This Christmas season, I pray that you would come to know the Prince of Peace, if you don’t already. My prayer is that you would seek the One who died for you. The One who will forgive all your sins and the One who offers you the greatest gift ever given to mankind – with no strings attached – eternal life with Him in paradise. And when you do, you will know true peace…with God. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
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