Category: Advent

Good morning!

I hope you all had a great weekend! If you are following along with our Advent Study, today we are reviewing week 2.

And just in case you missed last week’s post:

Advent Bible Study Review Week 1: HOPE

Let’s get started!

This week we talked all about the Prince of Peace and how we can wait for the second Advent with hope and peace.

“No one needs to be convinced of our need for peace. Wars, natural disasters, political unrest, violence, prejudice, famine, and disease plague us, just to name a few headlines. Each of us has inner battles as well. We’re fighting chaos of different kinds internally–sins, temptations, fears. The world can seem very dark.” (p.39)

This bible study was written last year, but how true is that quote today? 2020 has definitely not been a year of peace for many.

Day one, Peace with God, reminds us that at the beginning of time there was peace. Peace meant being near to God. God walked with His people in the garden and all was as it was meant to be.

But as we talked about last week in Genesis 3, “peace with God and unrestricted access to His presence were interrupted when Adam and Eve sinned and were sent away from the garden of Eden.” (p.43)

And today, we are in that same place they were. We are also separated from God because of sin and do not have peace with Him. Romans 3:23 says that we’ve all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And in Romans 6:23 it says, that the the wages, the punishment or right payment of sin is death. But God’s gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus. God made a way for His people to be near to him again and experience the peace that only He can give.

Before Jesus came to earth, God met with His people through a High Priest. “Sin was confessed and sacrifices were made. God sought to give his people peace with Him as they trusted Him to keep His promise to send a Messiah. The Messiah would make all things right again and restore peace throughout the earth.” (p.44)

Because Jesus came to earth and died for our sins, we have direct access to God’s presence and the peace that He gives. If you’ve received Christ as your Savior, you have peace with God. And that peace isn’t the peace that the world gives. It’s God’s peace, His presence in our lives. His peace doesn’t change with our feelings and circumstances, it isn’t temporary. “God is peace, and He is unchanging and unmoving.” (p.46)

Day two, Peace in God, reminds us that even in hard times, we can have peace in God. Walking through tragedy and disappointing seasons of life, it can be hard to feel God’s peace.

Have you found yourself holding your breath or pushing through hard seasons without peace? How would your circumstances or day-to-day living look different if you were experiencing the peace of God?

God promises peace to us all throughout the pages of scriptures. When we can’t feel God’s peace, it’s important to go to His word and remind ourselves of His promise.

Romans 5:1 says,

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Because God sent His son to earth and He died and rose again, we have been justified, declared righteous in His sight when we place our faith in Jesus. We belong to Him. We are His. And because we are His children, we can have peace no matter what trials come our way.

God’s promise of peace is for all of those who have placed their faith in Jesus. It’s easy to be overwhelmed with our situation and feel like His promise isn’t meant for us.

“When I doubt God’s promise of peace, I know it’s because I’m trying to walk through a situation in my own strength. And if I’m honest, the “peace” I often seek is a solution to my difficult circumstances, not a quiet heart in the midst of the storm. But God’s peace is more about the promise of His ultimate victory through Christ. It’s so much bigger than my circumstances. I can have peace in waiting, knowing that God already has the victory.”

John 16:33 reminds us that we will have trouble and suffering, but we can have peace because He has conquered the world.

Christ conquered death. He has victory over all those things that worry us. He is in control, and He is working for our good. Romans 8:28 reminds us of this promise.

How do we embrace the promise of peace in God? By fully trusting in God. By being completely dependent on Him to provide for us and walk through this crazy life with us.

Isaiah 26:3 says,

You will keep the mind that is dependent on you in perfect peace, for it is trusting in you.

We must surrender to Him. Give Him all of our worries and pain. Throughout the Bible it reminds us to bring our cares to Him because He cares for us. His Word tells us to present our requests in prayer with thanksgiving and to pray constantly.

There is nothing too big or too small to bring to Jesus. He wants us to boldly bring our requests to Him. Our doubts and fears don’t scare Him. He can handle our pain, our burdens, frustrations and hardships. We are messy and difficult, but He can handle all of it.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:5-7)

This season and every season, bring all of your worries to the Lord in prayer. Ask Him to help you trust in Him and experience the peace He promises throughout His Word.

Day three, Peace on Earth, We read the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth. You can read it in Luke 1:5-25. Zechariah was well along his years as the bible says. He was a priest married to Elizabeth and they didn’t have children. The Angel appears and tells Zechariah that his prayers have been heard and his wife was going to have a son and he would be named John. “God broke His silence with news that He was paving a way for all of His people to have peace earth and peace with Him” (p.52)

Luke 1:26-38 tells us of the Angel, Gabriel appearing to Mary, the mother of Jesus. She was young, probably between twelve and fourteen. The Angel tells her to not be afraid and that she is highly favored. He tells her that she will conceive and bear a son and He will be named Jesus.

There are so many lessons in this passage, we could unpack so many things but the one main thing I took from this is that nothing is impossible for God. And that Mary was willing to allow God’s will to be fulfilled through Her.

The Angel also appears to Joseph and tells him what’s going on. He tells him to not be afraid, this all seems crazy but Mary is pregnant by the Holy Spirit and she is going to give birth to a son named Jesus who is going to save people from their sins. His name will be Immanuel which means God with us.

“All of these angelic messages boil down to this: The great Rescuer, the One who will save people from their sins? He is now with us. The silence is broken! Peace has arrived!” (p.54)

Just as God used the Angel to break the silence, He wants us to do the same. He wants us to share the Good News with those around us.

How can we break our silence and share the news about our great Rescuer with those who don’t know Him?

Day four, Peace, God’s Gift to You, reminds us that God’s peace is given to us. It’s not something we have to try to attain or achieve, it’s a gift. Peace is one of the fruits of the spirit. It’s given to us when we trust Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins and receive His Holy Spirit. “One of the manifestations of the Spirit in us is peace (Gal.5:22-23). (p.57)

John 14:27 says,

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

God doesn’t give as the world gives. All of those things that we are looking to to fill our needs and our void they return to us empty. God’s word will never return void. It will always accomplish what God desires. His promises are not empty promises.

Whatever you are going through, whatever is keeping you up at night, take it to Jesus. Trust in Him. Ask God to overwhelm you with His peace today. It’s His gift to you.

Day five, Becoming a Peacemaker, reminds us that Jesus came to earth to bring peace to a chaotic world. He gave us peace with God and peace with others through the Father.

“Jesus doesn’t just give peace; He is peace. It’s because He shed His blood on the cross that we can be at peace with God.” (p.60)

God gives us His peace so that we can have peace with ourselves, but also with others. I wrote about experiencing the peace within us a couple of years ago. You can read the post, here.

I love the way pg. 60 says, that “being a peacemaker doesn’t mean being a doormat and steering clear of conflict. A peacemaker is someone who is actively seeking to reconcile people to God and to one another. Peacemakers show grace and look for goodness. When they walk into a room they bring with them the sense of calmness, love, mercy, wisdom and patient. Peacemakers glorify God and exemplify His character. They mediate disputes, improve understanding, and seek reconciliation. Peacemakers bring unity:”

Colossians 3:15 says,

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Now that will preach!

We are all different. We will disagree with each other and that is totally OK to do respectfully. But as followers of Christ, we shouldn’t let those differences in opinions cause us to sin. A verse that I remind my kids of a lot, but also remind myself of is Romans 12:18 which says, that “if possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Paul is telling us if possible and as far as it depends on us, we have the responsibility to live at peace with everyone. Peace isn’t always possible. We can choose to live at peace with someone, but if they do not want to do the same, unity is not possible. And the Bible says that’s ok. I believe that’s when boundaries come in. But that’s a lesson for another day.

Because of the sacrifice of our Savior, we are a new creation in Christ and no longer are we separated from God. His peace is given freely to us and we can be at peace with ourselves and those around us.

How can you be a peacemaker in your world today?

This was such a good week. So needed for me as I found myself being overwhelmed with the busyness of the season and asking for peace on the daily.

I hope that you were encouraged this week. If you have any questions or anything you want to discuss, feel free to comment below or shoot me a text/email like some of you have done!

Thank you for joining me! I hope you have the BEST day. May you feel His peace all day!

XO

Morning, girls!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving week and that your Monday is going great! I was a little sad to send my kiddos back to school today. I loved having them home this week. I am definitely ready for Christmas break!

If you are following along during Advent, today we are reviewing week one. This week also reminded me of an old post I wrote last year about being in a waiting season of life. Click here to read it.

Alright, let’s get started!

Week one was all about hope.

Day one talks about waiting with hope. We started off reading Genesis 3, a story we all know well. Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge annnnnd we all know what happens next. Sin came into the world and we were separated from God.

Advent means “the arrival.” During this season we remember what it was like to wait for Jesus. Did you know that God’s people waited for 400 years? I don’t know why that number just surprised me when I read it. I cannot fathom waiting for something for that long. It literally blows my mind.

When Adam and Eve ate from the tree, the 400 years began. Something that I found interesting was that when Eve had Cain, scholars believe that Adam and Eve thought he was the deliverer who would defeat the serpent that God promised in Genesis 3:15 (p.14). Can you imagine the disappointment when they realized their deliverance wasn’t coming through Cain? As the book says, their hope was deferred. How many more times would their hope be deferred? Many, I’m sure.

It makes me think about my personal waiting seasons of my life and how many times my hope was deferred. I know that I’m not the only person with hopes and dreams that seem unfulfilled right now. We are all waiting for something. And when we are in a waiting season, it can be hard to see God’s love for us especially when we feel like we can’t see Him working in our lives. Waiting seasons often make us feel like God isn’t near, like He’s pushed us aside and forgotten about us.

I love the quote share on pg. 16 by A. W. Pink that says,

“Though you cannot now harmonize God’s mysterious dealings with the avowals of His love, wait on him for more light. In His own good time He will make it plain to you.”

Our book puts it perfectly,

“In seasons of waiting, even if you can’t see it, God is working on your behalf. He is formning you into His image. He loves you, and He wants you to know Him more intimately. Though it’s challenging, let’s allow these seasons of waiting to strengthen our faith and fuel our hope in the coming Savior.”

Day two is all about having hope in the unexpected.

Isaiah 55:8 says,

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.

Plain and simple, we are not God. We were made in His image, but we are not God.

“Where we have partial or limited information in any given situation, God has complete understanding and is always working with the full scope of the facts. He knows what we don’t know, He sees what we can’t see. He takes into account things we never knew were there.”

Jesus works in unexpected ways and we have to trust that His ways are better than ours. I know that it’s easier said than done. Especially for someone as impatient as me, but I have to remind myself that He is working things out for my good. If He says wait, then I wait. If He says go, then I go.

In what area of your life have you forgotten that the God you serve is the God of the unexpected? How can you remind yourself of this truth? And what unwelcome or unexpected circumstances do you need to surrender to God fully, trusting that His ways are higher? (p.18)

Because of sin entering the world, we were in need of a Savior. And we see during the waiting period how His people turned their backs from Him. They gave up. Probably tried to do it themselves.

But I love what’s written on p.29,

Basically that if left to us, we would’ve tried to bring ourselves back to God in a million different wrong ways. But Jesus came to reconcile us to God through His sacrifice which was dying on the cross for you and for me.

“After all, it doesn’t seem like blood would make a person clean. Nor does it seem logical that wounds would heal or that death would produce life. yet this is the case with the Gospel–God, in His higher and heavenly wisdom made a plan to bring lost children back to Himself in a way that would turn all human expectations upside down. Instead of letting us be trampled for our treachery, Jesus came into our world, born as one of us, died on the cross, and took the trampling for us. There was simply no other way to reconcile us to God.”

And that is the Gospel. And that is why we can place our hope in the unexpected.

Day three was about praying with hope. Because Jesus died for us, we have direct access to God. We don’t need an in between person to take our prayers to Him. He hears us right where we are. He came to earth and lived like one of us. He knows the suffering and pain and temptation that we endure because He endured it Himself, yet was without sin. (p.23). Think about His life. He was betrayed, persecuted, mocked, ridiculed…yet never once did He speak up to defend Himself.

Instead He cried out to His Father. And because He died on that cross, we can do the same. In moments of hopelessness. In moments when we are mocked, ridiculed, betrayed, we can go directly to our Father.

He meets us right where we are. We can pray bold prayers. We can take Him at His Word. Because the Bible says that His Word will not return void. It will always fulfill its purpose in our lives.

“God is faithful to meet us at our point of need; He never leaves us empty-handed. His grace and mercy are abundant and present, no matter what.“

Day four we read about Hope in the silence. All God’s people heard for four hundred years was silence. Can you imagine? Maybe you feel like God is silent in your life right now…don’t lose hope.

It’s in those times that God is working in ways that we can’t see or understand. A lot happened during the four hundred years before Jesus’ birth. A lot changed. Hope and faith were low and they were convinced that they only thing that could save them was the Messiah.

“God, in His supreme wisdom, had the world primed for the Messiah. After years of not hearing from God, the Hebrew people were set up for the Word to come alive.”

Literally come alive. That just gives me chills to think about!

God was still working during all of those years. He was preparing His people for the Messiah. He was at work even when it seemed like nothing was happening.

In times of silence, we can be strong and courageous. Deuteronomy 31:6 reminds us that the Lord our God is the one that goes with us and He will never leave us or abandon us.

John Piper wrote,

“God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them.”

I promise that in God’s time, His purposes and plans will be fulfilled. Don’t lose hope.

Day five concludes with The light of Hope. After not hearing from God for four hundred years, His people experienced a lot of uncertainty and confusion. They needed hope and in Isaiah 9:2 they are told of a great light that would be coming. Isaiah’s prophecies were messages of hope for the coming of a light. And that light is Jesus.

Jesus said in John 8:12 that He is the light of the world and that anyone that follows Him will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.

And just like Jesus is the light, we can also be the light to those around us. Many times we feel incapable or not equipped to share the Gospel, but the truth is we are most definitely capable and equipped.

Yesterday at church our pastor reminded us that people don’t care about what we know, they just want to know that we care. We can make a difference right where we are. Right where God has us.

God didn’t use perfect people. He used the most imperfect ones. The ordinary ones. A prostitute and a murder he used. Don’t think for a moment that He can’t use you.

You can be a bearer of hope for people.

This week was so good. I really soaked it all in and even this morning when we met, there was more that God showed me. I would love to know what impacted you the most this week.

This week we are talking about Peace. Feel free to answer any of the following questions in the comments!

What from last week’s personal study was particularly impactful for you?

What do you think of when you hear the word peace? A lack of conflict, chaos, and confusion? A feeling of serenity or stillness?

We live in a world fraught with tragedy. Do you think it’s even possible to have peace in this day and age, when things seem so out of control?

In 2 Thessalonians 3:16, Paul wrote, “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way” (NIV). Does knowing peace is available to you at all times change your view or what peace is?

As you close in prayer, ask God for a fresh perspective of His gift of peace. Pray for those in a particularly turbulent time, for God to grant them His peace that passes all understanding. 

Thank y’all for reading! I hope your Monday is going GREAT!

XO