Read: Luke 2:8-14
Some time ago, in a small town in Ohio, a group of children were going through what must have been one of the most frightening moments of their lives. While they were in school, a tornado warning sounded, and everyone was ushered quickly into the basement. As they huddled together, the storm drew closer, and fear began to spread like wildfire. The principal tried his best to bring calm by starting a song, but the children were too frightened. Tears streamed down their faces.
Then, in the midst of the panic, one teacher with a strong faith leaned over and whispered to a little girl, “Aren’t you forgetting something, Katie? There is a power greater than the storm that will protect us. Just say to yourself, God is with us. Now pass it to the next child.” And so the message went from one trembling child to another: God is with us… God is with us… God is with us.
As these simple words were whispered from ear to ear, something remarkable happened. A sense of calm settled over the group even as the wind still howled outside. The storm still raged on, but inside that basement, peace began to take the place of trembling, and fear slowly melted away.
Let me ask you today: Do you have that kind of peace in your life? If not, would you like to receive “The Gift of Peace” that God offers? You can—because true peace does not come from a calm environment, but from a God who dwells within us. Romans 5:1 says, “Since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.” That is the foundation of real, lasting peace.
Our scripture reading today takes us back to another moment in history when peace was both promised and needed. On the night Jesus was born, Luke records that angels appeared to shepherds in the fields, proclaiming, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased” (Luke 2:14). Peace had come—but in a far deeper sense than most realized.
History tells us that around this time, Rome was experiencing what was called the Pax Romana, meaning “The Peace of Rome.” It was a 200-year period with little war and relative stability—at least if you were Roman. For everyone else, it was peace enforced at the tip of a sword. It was peace built on fear, not flourishing. In other words, there was peace in the land, but not peace in the heart.
Then, on a quiet night in Bethlehem, heaven broke its silence. The angels announced a peace not based on force or fear but on God’s grace. A peace not earned by obedience to Rome but given by the mercy of God. The world had seen many forms of temporary peace. But through Jesus, a new peace was being offered—a peace the world could never create.
Jesus later said in John 14:27, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is not like the world gives. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” That tells us something important: the world does offer a kind of peace—but it isn’t the real thing.
People today try to find peace in all sorts of ways. Some turn to alcohol, others to cigarettes or drugs. Some look for peace in entertainment, relationships, success, or self-medication. There’s even a whole culture built around “finding inner peace” by repeating calming phrases or staring at candles. But all of this is simply a distraction. It numbs the heart, but it never heals it.
Real peace can only come when we deal with the true source of our turmoil—our sin. Isaiah 53:5 says, “He was pierced for our transgressions… the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him.” The root of our unrest is spiritual. And the cure is spiritual. Until we face the reality of our sin, we will never find the peace we desperately crave.
The apostle Paul understood this well. In Philippians 4:6–7, he wrote, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything… Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.” Paul’s peace wasn’t tied to his circumstances. Whether hungry or full, free or imprisoned, he had learned the secret to peace: Christ Himself was his strength (Philippians 4:13).
At the end of Philippians 4, Paul gives us a roadmap for experiencing the peace of God: rejoice always, pray about everything, give thanks continually, and set your mind on what is good, pure, and true. When we do this, Paul says, “the God of peace will be with you.”
So let me close with this thought: Peace is not the absence of problems. It is the presence of Christ. The storm may rage around you, but when the Prince of Peace lives within you, you can whisper what those children whispered in the middle of the tornado: “God is with us.” And He is—with you, for you, and working in your life even now.
“Lord Jesus, thank You for being my Prince of Peace. Help me to turn from the temporary comforts this world offers and lean fully into the lasting peace that comes from You alone. Calm my anxious heart, steady my mind, and teach me to rest in Your presence each day. In Your precious name I pray, Amen.”
Steve Ranni
Author of Up From the Ashes