Wana appHorizon Church Christmas Advent Bible Reading Plan: The Joy of Every Longing HeartChikamu
Amid the prophetic proclamation of a soon-coming King, the prophet Micah says of Jesus:
"They will live securely,
for then His greatness will extend to the ends of the earth.
He will be their peace."
–Micah 5:4-5
The peace that the nation of Israel had longed for was coming. They will be wanderers, ragtag nations, and conquered people no more.
When Jesus is finally born, the angels tell the shepherds in the fields:
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favours!” (Luke 2:14).
The beauty of their proclamation is that the “people He favours” (v.14) is anyone who calls upon His name. Being called one of the “people He favours” is possible because of the sacrifice that the baby Jesus will grow up to make. The “people He favours” have peace because He purchased it on the cross at Calvary.
He has redeemed us, friends. And that redemption comes with a deep and abiding peace. Whatever your place in life—married, single, mother, teacher, in ministry, in a corporate office, feeling peace, or striving to create it—if you have called upon His name, His peace is for you. His arrival on this earth heralds a sigh that had been held in ever since Eve took from the fruit of the garden. And as we exhale that long-held breath, the peace He affords is ready to fill our lungs.
The King has come.
And He brings His peace with Him.
Zvinechekuita neHurongwa uhu
“Come, Thou long-expected Jesus, born to set Thy people free.” These words from a beloved hymn capture the heart of Advent: longing, waiting, expectation. Scripture builds our anticipation of our Saviour, God Himself who would dwell among His people and set them free from sin and death. Celebrate Jesus’ first coming as the baby born in Bethlehem and anticipate His second as the glorious King over all.
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