Scripture: Peace is what I leave with you; it is My own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)
Meditation: When we moved to Fredericksburg in 1991 our two daughters were in the middle of fourth and seventh grades. After a few days in their new school it became very apparent that our younger daughter was having great difficulty adjusting. There were many tears and a real dread of going to school. Despite the fact that my husband and I had prayed about and felt a definite calling to move to Virginia, I began to be upset regarding our daughter’s distress and to feel somehow that God was asking us to sacrifice our children’s well-being for this calling we had answered. Each morning I practically begged God to give each of them a good day at school.
Then came my peace. I had a devotional book that contained a passage about Abraham who, of course, was asked by God to take his precious and only son, Isaac, up the mountain to be offered up as a sacrifice to God. The author of the passage, Carlo Carretto, writes that:
God, wrapt round the colossal figure of this patriarch alone in the desert, . . . wants to communicate with the depths of Abraham’s being and tear him from himself and his involvement with his own problems, which are like self-centered possessions; He wants to make this creature of His “more His,” this man who is destined not for the tents of earth, but for those of Heaven. So God asks of him an absurd trial, as love is absurd for anyone who does not live it, but as true and relentless as love for anyone who possesses it. . .. What a drama was in the poor heart of that man! God had asked the supreme sacrifice. If Abraham had had to turn the knife on himself it would have been easier!
My peace came as I believed that through this passage God was saying to me, “Remember, Ginny, that Abraham did not end up having to sacrifice his son, and neither will you be sacrificing your daughters. Everything is going to be okay.” And peace came, too, as the passage reminded me of God’s awesome presence always, but especially when He is asking us to do something that’s really hard for us to do. There are times when God does ask us to complete other kinds of sacrifices, but this time God wanted Abraham’s trust, not his son. That assurance gave me great peace.
The peace continued to flow as our Pastor Emeritus, Howard Cates, paid a visit with a deck of Uno cards and his loving support. Soon he had our daughter talking and laughing again as she played Uno with a new friend she could trust in this new place. And then Howard’s wife, Betty Jo, had us all over for dinner, and we played Uno again! God had wrapped His arms around all of us through Howard and Betty Jo. And God continued to show His presence throughout our future years in Fredericksburg, giving both our girls a true home, and blessing us in countless ways.
Abraham was spared the sacrifice of his son, but God willingly gave the ultimate sacrifice of His precious and only Son for us. What will we give Him in return this Christmas?
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.
– Christina G. Rossetti
Prayer: Holy God and Giver of peace and salvation, thank You for the very intimate ways You care for us and give us Your peace. May we in turn be instruments of Your peace, spreading it to others as we journey onward. Amen.
For additional information about our Advent devotions and their authors, click here.
