The Advent of Peace

Peace is not a commodity to be bought "off-the-shelf" or a struggle to achieve through one's own wilfulness or meditation. Peace comes from the very nature of God and is given as a gift to those who come in faith to Him. Jesus gave His peace to His disciples, and we too, also as His disciples, can be recipients of this same peace.
The world is in constant conflict because of sin and expresses little real peace. Sometimes worldly peace raises its head and refreshes for the moment. But true, deep, long-lasting peace escapes those who have no relationship with God. But the peace we receive from Christ does not mean we will be absolved from trials and tribulation. The disciples found this to be so. What we do find though, is that in spite of the wiles of the world, we can have peace, even under persecution. This has been the witness of many martyrs over the centuries. The advent of peace is fully seen in the advent of Christ. Ponder then, what true peace looks like and how it takes root and action in our lives.