He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. They will dwell secure, because he will surely become great throughout the earth; he will become one of peace. —Micah 5:4-5a
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Today there are many parts of our personal worlds that are far from peaceful. We are experiencing conflicts and struggles within ourselves, within our relationships with co-workers, family, and friends, and with powers and authorities. We often aren’t sure that we have the strength to keep fighting and pray for the stability, contentment and freedom we need for ourselves and those we love.
When God calls us to “stand and shepherd his flock,” one of the pastures in which he shepherds his people is through his Word—being fed by God’s word through reading scriptures and by singing songs of praise and worship. God’s word being proclaimed through music is one of my favorite parts of the Advent season. Singing the familiar hymns and songs that we grew up singing as children brings us such comfort and peace during this time of year. We will be singing these Advent songs as we anticipate the birth of a baby in a lonely stable in the town of Bethlehem. We look to that infant as the one in whom and through whom God fulfills his promises to Israel—which are also God’s promises to us. As a shepherd, he restores us and also guides us.
As we move through this Advent season, may he be our peace. May we rest in his arms like a lamb carried by the Good Shepherd. May he still our hearts and give us time and a place of sanctuary and rest. As we experience his amazing peace, may we pass it on to those who need it the most during this season.
Katie Berlin