W2W 12 Days of Christmas Day 8
On the 8th Day of Christmas my First Love gave to me:
A party in heaven
Ok, so there are 5 sleeps to go now, are you still with me? Hanging on in there despite the chaos in the shops, the many events to attend and a to do list as long as your arm? I don’t know about you but I am searching for some PEACE and QUIET!!!
Have you ever noticed that when we long for peace we often think of quiet, even silence? I know that’s what I am referring to when I am shouting at the top of my voice at the kids as they rampage through the house. “Oh Lord I pray for my neighbours, that they have patience as they need it living next to us”. We are anything but quiet!
It’s a funny old phrase Peace and Quiet. When someone passes on we often hear it said that they are at peace. We imagine our loved ones in a place of peace and quiet. But is it peaceful and quiet? On day 7 we heard that the angel appeared to the Shepherds and then shortly after that the angel (probably Gabriel as he seems to be the top man for the Christmas job) is joined by a vast host of other angels. Scripture tells us that an army of heavenly hosts begin to start praising God, singing:
“Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
They began by praising God for who he is, majestic and sovereign and they also praised God by offering peace to us on earth. Oh I am so jealous of those Shepherds, what an amazing sight! But not only a breathtaking sight, what about the sound!!! This is by no means quiet, this is not an amateur carol service performance with a dodgy sound system. This is an army of angels with a sound that is out of this world – heavenly right enough. Think of the most famous classical symphony and multiply that by millions. This is the scale we are talking about.
This is not the only time we get a glimpse of the sound of heaven. The disciple John encountered heaven and he said “I heard what sounded like a vast crowd in heaven shouting, "Praise the LORD! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God”. Yes, God offers us peace. A peace that is beyond our human understanding (Philippians 4v1), a contentment that no matter what storm of life hits us, we can say it is well with our soul. However it doesn’t necessarily need to be quiet. Yes, there are certainly times when we need to be still before God, to sit quietly in his presence and marvel at his majesty. However there are also times of celebration when we shout out loud the Glory of the Lord. For when you are in his presence you can’t help but proclaim his goodness.
So if its peace you’re looking for, then the stable is the place to be. It is at the feet of Jesus you will find it. Just be prepared that it may not be as quiet as you expected as there is rejoicing in heaven over the lost that comes home (Luke15:7)
ON THE 8TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS MY FIRST LOVE GAVE TO ME: A Party in Heaven
