Peace

We are now in the second week of Advent. The word “Advent” comes from the Latin word “Adventus” which means “coming.” We are waiting for the coming of Christ our Savior. As we wait, we are preparing our hearts and lives to receive Him. The second purple candle on our Advent wreath represents peace. We long for the Holy Spirit to fill our lives and our world with peace.

Isaiah 40:1-11 is beautiful poetry. A voice cries out that God will tenderly shepherd and comfort His people. God’s promises would be fulfilled. Before the Israelites were in exile, God was preparing a way for them to be restored and return to their homeland. In Wesleyan terms, we talk about this as Prevenient Grace. God was coming to them, moving and working in their lives before they recognized it.

The Israelites traveled through the wilderness and desert areas when they were on their way to the Promised Land. They faced the challenges of the land in which they traveled through. They faced extreme heat, danger, and great need because of few resources. They struggled with trusting and obeying God. Then, hundreds of years later, they faced the consequences of their sin of idol worship and other forms of disobedience as they were forced to live in a foreign land.

The words wilderness and desert are metaphors for times of pain, suffering, and death. They are also metaphors for places of refuge and God’s provision. Moses, David, and the Israelites experienced the pain and suffering in the wilderness. They also experienced God’s love and learned to trust God. We learn from the stories of Scripture that God is present and experienced in the desert and wilderness as well as on the mountain tops.

As the exiles would one day travel back to their homeland, they would not be traveling alone.

This Advent season is a time to reflect on where you are on your journey of faith. Maybe you find yourself in the desert, struggling to make it from day to day, dealing with painful situations. Maybe you know someone who is. Maybe you long for peace: more peace in your life, more peace in the world.

God longs for us to experience His presence, peace, and provision in all circumstances in life. Although God is always with us, we may not always sense God’s presence. Even in those times, we can pray as we cry out to God. We can read Scripture, worship, and rely on others who are journeying alongside us, waiting for the time when we will move from pain and suffering to an experience of God’s restoring grace and peace. In this Advent season, no matter what you are going through, may you experience the peace of God.