Luke 2:15-19
Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.
What was Mary thinking about? This is a picture of a woman who was just as human as you and me, who was under an incredible amount of stress and anxiety. Despite finding herself in circumstances that were nowhere near perfect, Mary found her way back to peace. This is a description of a woman experiencing peace in the midst of instability. She’s modeling it for us. I wonder if she looked into the face of that baby and recalled Isaiah’s prophecy about him—He’s the Prince of Peace.
The opposite of peace is fear, which is why the most stated command in God’s Word is “Fear not.” It shows up an astonishing 365 times! God wants us to experience that kind of peace all year round. What are you thinking about during this Christmas season? What brings fear into your mind? It’s no match for the peace that God can give you. Let go of those fearful thoughts. Surrender them to God and watch how He will flood your heart and mind with peace.