BIBLE READINGS:
Isaiah 9:6-7
Ephesians 2:11-22
The interesting thing about faith is that what you have faith in is much more important than the amount of faith that you have.
Take flying for example. It doesn’t matter if you have just enough faith to get your butt on the plane. If you have only enough faith in the pilot and plane to get on board, you’re still going to arrive at the same place as the person who had all the faith in the world. Granted, you’re going to have a better and more enjoyable trip if you have more faith. But what’s most important is the direction that your faith takes you because of the object of your trust.
I point that out about faith because, in Jesus, we have someone who can truly be trusted. Years before Jesus ever walked the face of the Earth, the prophet Isaiah used these terms to prophesize about the coming of the Messiah. He used the terms, “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Who would not want those things in their life?
My favorite of those terms is “Prince of Peace.” The word used by Isaiah that was translated peace was the Hebrew word Shalom. If you have any Jewish friends or have been to Israel, you may have heard this word as a greeting. It is a rich Hebrew word that carries a significant meaning. When the Old Testament authors use the term Shalom, it’s not just describing a situation that is absent from violence, but it is also the embrace of well-being from God.
Later on in the Bible in Ephesians 2, Paul talks about how Jesus is our peace. This is the same theme and idea as the Old Testament prophecy that described what Jesus would be like when He came. This presence of God through Jesus is what is offered to us who trust in Him. The question we all have to ask is whether we trust Him enough to take the adventure He has in store for us?
There is only one way to find out, and that’s to trust.
(We would like to thank Parkview Christian Church, Orland Park, Illinois for providing this plan)