Welcome to another edition of Joni and Friends!
(Joni sings:)
O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
O little town of Bethlehem… in that little village, one night, a Savior was born. And the greatness of that Savior was established that night in peace. Not through conflict, not through war. I mean, think about the people throughout history whose greatness is remembered because of a war they have won. We remember great men like General Eisenhower, or Patton, or George Washington – all who secured victories in battle. There are people like Alexander the Great or Napoleon; again, their greatness is remembered because of the manner in which they went to war. Every one of these great men – and others too numerous to mention here – every one became great in battle.
Oh, but the greatness of God’s name is not magnified through wars… God’s name is great because his majesty and authority was glorified through peace. And when I say peace, friend, I don’t mean the waving of a white flag or a ceasefire between God and man… no, I mean a true reconciliation, a restoration of our relationship with the Lord of the heavens. Once there had been enmity between God and man… once we were objects of his wrath – but now, now, all because of Jesus, we have peace. No wonder the angels sang that blessed night over the little town of Bethlehem, “Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth, good will toward men.”
Today in our troubled world there are so many wars and rumors of more wars. We are on the edge of a further outbreak of even greater hostilities – in fact, right in the midst of the land of Bethlehem! Even now, there are people trying to make peace. Well, they may negotiate a ceasefire, but for there to be true and lasting peace, the warring parties would have to come to the table to seek a new relationship – a relationship around the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. That’s quite a vision for this season, and that’s something to pray about as we honor the Lord Jesus, our Prince of Peace, born that night in the village of Bethlehem.
Friend, drop me a line at Joni’s Corner on joniandfriends.org, or you can always contact us at P.O. Box 3333, Agoura Hills, California 91376. God’s blessings on you until next time when we get together on Joni and Friends.
Used by permission of
JONI AND FRIENDS
P.O. Box 3333
Agoura Hills, CA 91376
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