12/22/2024

Read: Zephaniah 3:17 - "The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."

Reflect: During the holiday season, there can be a lot of noise. Life gets busy with all our preparations, end-of-year responsibilities, and celebrations. But the external noise around us can become internal noise within us. Some of us get stressed, some deal with anxiety or depression, some are just constantly thinking of all that needs to get done. But the Lord God is in our midst, and He is here to quiet us with His love. I can’t help but think of the scene where Martha is scrambling to provide for her guests, annoyed with her sister’s perceived laziness, when Jesus quietly intercedes, saying Mary has chosen the best thing: to sit quietly at the feet of Jesus. We cannot overstate the importance during this time of allowing the Lord to quiet you, of sitting with Him in the silence, meditating on the good news He has proclaimed with Christmas. Just as He quiets the storms on the sea, He can quiet our internal storms, bringing us hope, and peace, and joy.

Respond: Take some time to sit with the Lord in silence. Be still and know that He is God. Meditate on His love for you and how that love has manifested in your life recently. If you are currently facing an internal “storm”, ask God to quiet you with His love, and to restore your hope, joy, and peace.