Here is a short devotional I wrote for my church this Advent season. Though it doesn’t necessarily feel like Christmas in scorching hot Zambia, this season is a sweet one worth some serious praise. Happy Advent!!
A few weeks ago I was walking through a village in India praying in people’s homes with my team. As we were walking from one house to the next I met an older women. She was sitting on a stool and had something wrong in her back that made it bent, paralleled to the ground. Her eyes could see nothing but what was on the concrete road. I asked if I could pray for her and she said yes. As I sat down next to her and began praying I was overwhelmed with the Holy Spirit. I prayed for a sense of security in the woman and for a spirit that knew God. I prayed for healing and for peace within her. After the prayer I looked into her tear filled eyes; there was no miraculous healing or physical change in her body, but there was a deep presence of peace and comfort in what God was doing in that moment. Though words were scarce between us, I felt complete faithfulness in the Lord and His protection amidst her great pain.
Peace in the Lord. The peace I felt when praying over my Indian friend. It doesn’t mean perfection or a promise of a stress free life. It doesn’t mean that life’s hardships are taken away. Peace abounds in us if we allow God’s promise of protection to reside within us and bring a spirit of ease. We are watched over, well loved, and given a fresh breath of life when we connect with Jesus.
As I grow in my relationship with God, I honestly find life more difficult in a lot of ways. I feel my heart break over things I would have never given a second thought to just a year ago. I get overwhelmed at the thought of what kind of darkness exists on earth and how in the world I am supposed to help.
But this is where Jesus and the greatness of Christmas comes in – all the hurt and brokenness in this world isn’t left unseen. Our pain and heartache is not left on our shoulders alone. Jesus came down and gave us a way to connect with the Creator of it all and there’s renewal found in that. There is great peace in the fact that God has promised faithfulness and protection if we abide in Him. So I encourage you to seek peace in what God has to offer. Through Jesus and the life he had on earth, we are made one with an incredible God. We are provided with a large amount of peace when we rest in oneness with Jesus. That’s a pretty sweet thing to celebrate and rest in this Christmas season.
Xoxo,
Emily
