The Promise of Peace
Advent Week Four, Day Six
John 14:25-31

Focus: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you….”

While serving on a mission trip to Kenya this past summer, our team stayed at the picturesque Brackenhurst Conference Center in Limuru, Kenya. The center is situated on 100 acres with lush green grass and trees. Nestled in the beautiful foliage are cottages decorated by brilliantly colored flowers. Its beauty was unexpected.

Each day’s ministry would lead our team out from Brackenhurst to serve the Kenyan people who live among filth, poverty, sickness and disease. It was quite a stark contrast to our safe and comfortable quarters at the center. Everywhere we went the reality of sin and the presence of evil in the world were blatant. And then, at the end of the day, we would return to the safe, peaceful and distraction-free environment of Brackenhurst.

As I thought about this pattern of peace and stress, I saw a wonderful picture of the peace Jesus promises his followers in John 14. When we come to him, we receive the gift of his peace, but moving through life is stressful and sin flourishes all around us, oftentimes overtaking our awareness of his presence. Whenever we lose sight of his peace we must return to him, just as our team would return to our conference center each day.

This Christmas season are you consistently returning to Jesus to find peace? Or are you looking in other places? Jesus said the peace he gives is not as the world gives. Lay your concerns out before him. And in your toil and struggles hear him say, “…Let not your heart be troubled…”