Sleep in Heavenly Peace
Written by Sue Putra
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. — Matthew 5:9
There is nothing that compares to the wonder and excitement of children of all ages as they experience advent anticipating the joy of Jesus birth. We are now in our first week of Advent. What does Advent actually mean? The dictionary definition of “advent” is the coming or arrival of something or someone that is important. Jesus IS important!
As adult Christians we remain children of God seeking to be peacemakers. This task is not easy in our world today. We can be so caught up in the hustle and bustle and STRESS of the holidays and the state of our world; we forget to stop, consider, pray, seek peace, and await the arrival of someone important.
Around the world, Christians are indeed seeking peace. From where does their hope come? Indeed, hope comes from our shared faith in Christ Jesus. “There are some things people cannot do, but God can do anything” (Matthew 19:26b). All things are possible through Jesus! Jesus is important!
On Christmas Eve we reverently sing:
Silent night, holy night! All is calm, all is bright
round yon virgin mother and child, Holy Infant so tender and mild,
sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.
Can you picture it? Baby Jesus wrapped in a blanket, sound asleep in his bed? Let this be our prayer: that ALL can one day sleep in heavenly peace, in safety and in love.
Heavenly Father, help us as children of God to seek to be peacemakers in this world. Guide us to follow Jesus’ example, generously caring for all people, sharing unconditional love for all. We pray for the leaders of our country and countries around the world, that they may be filled with your Holy Spirit and find common ground leading to peace. We pray, Lord, that with your help, ALL people may one day sleep in heavenly peace, and we can share peace in our hearts. Amen.
