Peace On Earth

He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be their peace. --Micah 5:4-5

In this season of advent we often hear the phrase "peace on earth", but rarely do we take the meaning of those words to heart. We live in a world where communities are pitted against one another because of racial tension. We see frequently in the newspapers and on the television the latest reports of the war on terror. Many people struggle to find peace on a personal level, hoping to reconcile broken familial relationships. All of this is part of the human condition. Few of us will see peace on earth, though many of us hope and pray for it daily.

The peace that our Lord will eventually bring us is probably quite different from our perception of what it should be. None of us have ever truly known peace, because we are constantly battling the enemy. Although we have been given a measure of peace in the form of the Holy Spirit, peace in our earthly lives will never be as pure as God intended it. We must wait for the day when the good shepherd will lead us into a time of absolute peace--a time where His majesty and greatness will reach further than the scope of our imaginations.

Peace can only exist in the absence of conflict. When Christ establishes His new kingdom on earth and vanquishes the adversary, then we will know everlasting peace. This year, as we look forward to celebrating Christ's birth, we need to be mindful that there will be an even greater celebration when He returns a second time to claim those who belong to Him. The trials and conflicts that have been denying us peace ever since the time of Adam, will cease to exist, and we will live securely as our hope is fulfilled in the bringer of everlasting peace.