Day 14 Advent Devotional | December 17th
Colossians 3:15-17
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
The hurry and the business this time of year add to the distractions vying to rule our hearts. Gift buying, family gatherings, and parties to attend can all be fun and fulfilling. Yet, at times, we allow these to pull our focus from the call Christ has put on our lives. Instead of thankfulness, we demonstrate exhaustion. Instead of peace, we experience tension.
Isaiah tells us that God will keep us in perfect peace when we trust God and focus our minds on Him (Isaiah 26:3). Reading God’s Word daily is the best way to keep our minds focused on the Lord. When we read His Word, we grow in our faith as we see God’s faithfulness, love, grace, forgiveness, and salvation throughout the Bible. We gain wisdom and learn how to live out our love for God and others. Being in the goodness of God’s Word naturally brings about a thankful heart.
This Christmas, rather than finding ourselves in turmoil over all the preparations, let’s stop and give thanks. When we are exhausted or anxious, let’s meditate on God’s Word and sing aloud praises to Him with thankfulness in our hearts. Let’s allow the peace of Christ to rule in our hearts this season. Our hearts of thankfulness and praise will not only be gifts to our Father but will also be a demonstration of His peace within us.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for true peace that only You can give. I praise you, for you are good! I desire to have a steadfast focus on You and to live a life of thankfulness. Help me to crave your Word daily so I can gain Your wisdom. Amen.