Daily Devotional for Thursday 21st December
Songs of Peace from Heaven
The night sky over Bethlehem became the stage for a celestial symphony as the heavenly host joined the lone angel in praising God. The shepherds, ordinary and unsuspecting, found themselves at the centre of a divine revelation that would change the course of history!
The angels proclaimed
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.”
The proclamation resounds with the glory of God and the promise of peace - a peace that transcends human understanding and is reserved for those who find favour in the eyes of the Lord.
Let’s consider how the shepherds responded, faced with the extraordinary announcement, they chose not to remain passive but to actively seek out the truth.
“Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” They say to one another. Their faith prompted into action.
In the midst of the heavenly chorus, we see a convergence of the divine and the human, a harmony of worship that bridges heaven and earth. The angels sang of God’s glory and proclaimed peace, while the shepherds responded with a journey of faith to witness the fulfilment of divine promises.
Today we are invited to participate in this grand narrative of worship. In our daily lives, we may not witness heavenly being filling the skies, but the call to come and worship Jesus remains.
And the message of peace, proclaimed by the angels is very much relevant today, in a world hungry for hope and reconciliation.
As we reflect on our passage today, let us be like the shepherds and actively seek out the presence of God, eager to encounter the Saviour who brings peace to our hearts and to the world.
Time to reflect…
Where are we in need of peace today? Firstly, let’s reflect on our world, and those places hungry for God’s peace and reconciliation.
Then as we take some time to think of ourselves, we bring before God any areas of our own lives where we need his peace today.
Pause to pray…
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
(Francis of Assisi)
