Sunday, December 7, 2025

Readings: Isaiah 11:1–10; Psalm 72:1–7, 18–19; Romans 15:4–13; Matthew 3:1–12

Reflection:
Isaiah envisions a peace so deep and transformative that even creation is reordered—predator and prey dwelling together in safety. This peace grows from the “shoot from the stump of Jesse,” a new beginning rising out of what looked dead. Psalm 72 echoes that vision with a king who embodies justice, compassion, and flourishing for the most vulnerable.

John the Baptist enters Matthew’s Gospel like a holy disruption—calling people to repentance, shaking complacency, and preparing the way for Christ’s refining work. In Romans, Paul reminds the community that the Scriptures and the Spirit strengthen us with endurance and hope so we may live at peace with one another.

Advent peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of God’s restoring power. It breaks what is harmful, uproots what is unjust, and prepares a new way of life. Peace is both gift and calling—an invitation to let God reshape our hearts and live as peacemakers in a fractured world.

Question for Reflection:
Where is God inviting me to welcome Christ’s refining peace, allowing it to cleanse, rearrange, or heal something within me?

Prayer:
God of holy peace, break what harms and heal what is broken in me. Make room in my heart for the peace Christ brings—peace that restores, reforms, and renews. Amen.

Today’s Intention:
Practice one act of peacemaking today—reconciliation, listening, gentleness, or offering compassion where tension or hurt has lingered.

Monday, December 8, 2025

Readings: Psalm 21; Isaiah 24:1–16a; 1 Thessalonians 4:1–12

Reflection:
Isaiah’s words are heavy—describing a world stripped down, shaken, and exposed. Yet even there, the prophet hears a song of glory rising from the edges of the earth. Psalm 21 gives voice to trust in a God whose strength and steadfast love uphold the faithful. Paul urges the Thessalonians to live quietly, honorably, and with integrity, even in uncertain times.

Peace in the shaking begins with grounded, faithful living. When the world trembles, God’s people hold steady by practicing holiness, love, and simple, daily faithfulness. This is how peace takes shape within us—one obedient step at a time.

Question for Reflection:
What simple act of faithfulness helps me stay grounded in God’s peace today?

Prayer:
God of steady strength, anchor me in your peace. Help me live with integrity, courage, and calm trust in your presence. Amen.

Today’s Intention:
Choose one small practice—kindness, patience, generosity, moderation—and commit to it as an act of peace.

Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Readings: Psalm 21; Isaiah 41:14–20; Romans 15:14–21

Reflection:
Isaiah speaks to those who feel weak or insignificant—“Do not fear… I will help you.” God transforms what looks powerless into something fruitful and strong. Paul echoes this confidence, recognizing that God is the true source of strength and effectiveness in ministry. Psalm 21 reminds us that God establishes and sustains the faithful.

Divine peace begins as reassurance: God is with us, not asking us to be strong on our own. Peace grows when we trust God to equip us, empower our efforts, and bring renewal even through ordinary people like us.

Question for Reflection:
Where do I feel inadequate—and how might God be offering peace and strength instead of fear?

Prayer:
Strength-giving God, meet me in my weakness. Help me trust your power working through me for good. Amen.

Today’s Intention:
Name one fear or insecurity to God today, and ask for the peace that comes with trusting God’s help.

Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Readings: Psalm 21; Genesis 15:1–18; Matthew 12:33–37

Reflection:
In Genesis, Abram is anxious and uncertain about the future, yet God meets him with a covenant of peace—promising presence, protection, and a future beyond his imagination. Jesus reminds us in Matthew that our words reveal what’s inside the heart. Psalm 21 praises God as the one who strengthens and sustains.

Peace takes root in us when God’s promises go deeper than our fears. It shows itself outwardly in the fruit of our speech—gentleness, truth, compassion. Advent peace begins as God steadies our hearts and reshapes how we speak into the world.

Question for Reflection:
What do my words reveal about the state of my heart—and where do I need God’s peace to transform me?

Prayer:
God of promise and truth, calm my anxious places. Let your peace shape my heart and flow through my words. Amen.

Today’s Intention:
Speak one intentional word of encouragement or healing to someone today.

Thursday, December 11, 2025

Readings: Psalm 146:5–10; Ruth 1:6–18; 2 Peter 3:1–10

Reflection:
Psalm 146 celebrates the God who lifts the oppressed, feeds the hungry, frees the captive, and watches over the vulnerable. Ruth 1 shows this peace in action—Ruth refusing to abandon Naomi, choosing loyal love over self-protection. Peter reminds the church that God’s perceived “delay” is actually patience, giving space for repentance and renewal.

Peace is not passive. It is loyal, courageous, and restorative. Advent peace calls us to show up for one another, especially when circumstances are hard and futures unclear.

Question for Reflection:
Where might God be calling me to embody loyal, courageous peace for someone today?

Prayer:
God of compassion, help me practice peace that protects, comforts, and restores. Make me a source of steadfast love. Amen.

Today’s Intention:
Offer presence to someone today—reach out, check in, or show up in a way that brings peace.

Friday, December 12, 2025

Readings: Psalm 146:5–10; Ruth 4:13–17; 2 Peter 3:11–18

Reflection:
Ruth’s story ends with restoration—brokenness turned into blessing, grief turned into new life. Psalm 146 praises the God who makes such reversal possible. Peter challenges believers to live with holiness and hope as they await God’s renewal of all things.

Peace in the shaking means trusting that God is still writing the story. God brings unexpected redemption out of difficult chapters, and Advent invites us to live now as though that future is already breaking in.

Question for Reflection:
How might God be turning something painful or uncertain in my life toward healing or renewal?

Prayer:
Redeeming God, help me trust that you are restoring what’s broken in your time and your way. Teach me to live in hope. Amen.

Today’s Intention:
Name one place in your life where you long for renewal—and pray specifically for God’s restoring work there.

Saturday, December 13, 2025

Readings: Psalm 146:5–10; 1 Samuel 2:1–8; Luke 3:1–18

Reflection:
Hannah’s song and John the Baptist’s preaching share a theme: God brings down the proud, lifts up the lowly, and turns the world right-side up. Psalm 146 echoes this reversal—God’s peace comes through justice, compassion, and liberation.

Advent peace is radical. It doesn’t simply soothe; it restructures. It confronts what harms and makes room for new life to flourish. Welcoming Christ means welcoming this holy upheaval, trusting that God’s rearranging work leads to peace.

Question for Reflection:
Where might God be inviting me to let go of something—pride, fear, comfort—to make room for Christ’s renewing peace?

Prayer:
God of holy transformation, overturn what harms and lift up what heals in me. Prepare my heart for the peace Christ brings. Amen.

Today’s Intention:
Let go of one thing today—an expectation, a grudge, a distraction—to create space for God’s renewing peace.