The Proof Is in the Manger – Advent Devotional With Andrea OlsonSample

Day 3: 3rd Sunday of Advent

Scriptures for reading: Isaiah 9:6, John 16:33, Philippians 4:7

Devotional:

The proof is in the manger

The Son of God our Savior

The Prince of Peace we’ve waited for is here

The promise of a new dawn

Beginning now a new song

The Angels sing “Glory to the newborn King”

Lyrics from “The Proof”

Peace and certainty. They go hand in hand, don’t they? I feel at peace when I’m certain everything is going to work out. When I live this way, I’m leaning on earthly peace, which is more of a prize than a possession. God knows that in this world, we will have trouble. There is sin in this world and hardships we will face. If we live our lives looking forward to peace someday when everything is okay, we are missing out on the greatest gift that God gave us through Jesus. Peace. It’s not a prize that we will receive someday. Peace is a gift we already possess. And God wants us to have it every moment of every day.

How? Through Jesus. When we invite Him to dwell in us, peace does too because He is the Prince of Peace.

I wonder how it felt for God’s people who were waiting for their Messiah. If they struggled to have peace in the waiting because they weren’t certain when or how He would come? I imagine there was perpetual angst amongst them because they waited for so long. They were waiting for their Prince of Peace to come and right every wrong and save them.

Maybe you feel that way. Are you searching for peace in the waiting? Do you feel the angst in your spirit because you aren’t sure that things will work out for good? Friend, receive this:

Your Prince of Peace has already come.

God sees your pain and anxiety. And He is not withholding His peace from you. He’s not waiting until you deserve it. He already took care of it when Jesus came. We have access to peace every moment of every day.

Yes, the gift of peace has been freely given. But our active part in this is receiving it. We have a choice to make. We can choose to live for earthly certainty, which will likely never come in the way we hoped. Or, we can open our hearts and receive the peace of God that goes with us through every trial, victory, sorrow, and joy. Receiving His peace is often a daily act on our behalf, of surrendering and trusting in all things. But when we do this, His peace becomes part of us. We begin to live from His peace, not just for it. The core of our being begins to fully realize that we don’t have to strive for it. We possess it.

Thank You, Jesus.

On this third week of Advent, we pause to look back and reflect on the peace that we have because Jesus came to earth for us. Once again this week, I encourage you to come back to these linked scriptures every day. Remind yourself of Truth and begin to live from peace. Each day as you declare these scriptures, grab your journal and ask God to show you what it means to live from peace. Write down what He says. Second, each day write down all of the ways that God shows you His peace.