Worship

“The In Between” by Matt Maher

Scripture

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” -Genesis 1:1-2 (ESV)

“O LORD, you will ordain peace for us, for you have indeed done for us all our works.” -Isaiah 26:12 (ESV)

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” -Luke 2:14 (ESV)

The Gift of Peace

“The thing that happened in between was Him.” The in-between is the space of life that hinges on the covenants of God from new birth to eternity. It’s the uncontrollable and the unforeseen that shift us often from anchored peace. But this Christmas we are opening gifts each week that have been written in the heart of a Father for His sons and daughters. Last week, we received a fresh embrace of love. This week, we unwrap the covenant promise of peace for the people of God. We need it more than ever. We need to release peace to a world covered in wickedness and far from peace. If you skipped the opening song, go back, and let your heart be ministered to as you look at Jesus’ face, our precious Prince of Peace—the One who bridges our troubled waters as Yahweh Shalom.

The Prince of Peace hovered over deep waters before the depths and heights of the world were formed. Even in darkness, peace hovered. As creation was about ready to be spoken into existence from the very lips of God, peace hovered. Our Prince of Peace was holding everything together in perfect wholeness, order, and blessing. The abundance of complete perfection and goodness was about ready to be formed. And the Prince of Peace held it all together in glorious unity.

We know the shaking of separation that ensued after creation. Sin tore apart the fabric of peace that held the world in perfect wholeness and order. Sin became the enemy of peace entirely as people now ran to and fro, looking for something to heal their wounded bodies, souls, and spirits. But Christmas was coming:

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” -Isaiah 9:6 (ESV)

God’s Covenant of Peace

Our perfect gift of shalom came with a proclamation of covenant peace! Our promise-keeping Savior was on His way to establish a bond of peace between Himself and His people. We would be recipients not of a feeling but of a reality that would mark us forever. We can live unshakable, secure, anchored, unmoved, whole, full of abundance, and marked by His presence.

“For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the LORD, who has compassion on you.” -Isaiah 54:10 (ESV)

This Prince of Peace had to tear the veil that separated us from perfect peace. Our eternal peace was established by the cross of Christ. His sacrifice would be your completeness. His coming to Earth would bring you freedom from anxiety, a troubled mind, despair, and brokenness. This Prince of Peace—your peace—would be a gift deposited in you by His Spirit—the same one that hovered over deep waters and declared life. Your current reality is that the Prince of Peace who lives in you declares to you that in Him, there is no deficiency or lack; there is no disorder or chaos.

In Christ, you are held together by the covenant of unmovable peace. You cannot be shaken because you are anchored to your Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit. Had He not come, this covenant could not have been established. Our Wonderful Counselor knows exactly what we need in order to survive in a war-torn, sin-afflicted, destitute, and destructive world: peace. We can’t live without it, and in Christ, we never have to, not even for a moment, because He will not forsake Himself nor break His promises to us. And as we allow the God of peace and the peace of God to sanctify us through and through, we begin to walk unmovably as sons and daughters of the Most High.

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” -1 Thessalonians 5:23 (ESV)

Receive Your Gift

Will you open your hands this morning to receive a manifestation of His peace?

Peace of Jesus, come and touch the one who is longing to feel Your very nearness. Overwhelm them right now with the peace of Your presence, down to the very cellular level of their being. Hover over the dark and deep places and speak Your words of covenant peace and newness of life. You do all things well, and we need You to bring Your wholeness and abundance and goodness and completion—Your full shalom—to the areas of suffering and fracture and woundedness inflicted by our enemy.

Yahweh Shalom, You are the Lord is peace. It’s Your very name and Your very nature. Jesus, our glorious Prince of Peace, come and make Your home in our chaos and brokenness. For those needing the storm to cease, will You declare peace over everything and everyone that touches their lives?

Christmas Around the World: Afghanistan

Recently the Taliban Supreme Leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, ordered judges to fully impose the Sharia law in Afghanistan for crimes, such as stealing, robbery, kidnapping, apostasy, and rebellion. The Taliban considers every Christian an apostate. Earlier this year, some Muslim background believers were martyred. From now on, the pressure will be even higher on believers of Christ and on all Afghans. Now many Afghans are hungry and cold; some may have to steal to survive.

Please pray for Afghan Christians to rest in the peace of their Yahweh Shalom. Pray for boldness as they share Christ with their fellow Afghans who are suffering and in need.

I want to challenge you this week to bring people a “gift of peace.” When you are checking out at the grocery store, for example, ask if you can pray for the clerk to receive peace this Christmas. Invite the very presence of Jesus, who is perfect peace, to touch them in that very moment. I did this with a deaf woman in India. She felt God’s presence so powerfully that tears began to fall down her cheeks. I prayed for her ears to open so she could hear the gospel. God answered that prayer, and that little 80-year-old woman received her Prince of Peace as her Savior. Go and release this gift of peace this week!

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.'” -Isaiah 52:7 (ESV)