No Trust, No Peace

Welcome to Advent week 2! As I read the texts leading up to the Birth of Jesus, I try to place myself in the shoes of those that God is interacting with. Sometimes that takes a lot more cultural and historical context to sort out all the nuances. But there are always aspects that we can relate to more readily. These are real people with real problems and experiences, just like us.

For example, it takes more understanding, information, and contexts to put myself in the shoes of Zechariah as a priest serving in the temple of the Lord. The Warehouse podcast team did a great job breaking that down and providing a lot of understanding for that role and expectation. However, putting myself in the shoes of someone who has been praying for something and not receiving answers or seeing results- I’ve been there, and I’m sure you have too. I have most certainly been caught off guard, surprised, and even scared, much like Zechariah, when an answer comes in a form I was not expecting. Afterall, changes and surprises can be peace-shaking, so what do we do when we receive unexpected news?
Responses Tell Tales
Have you ever reacted to something and been completely surprised by the words coming out of your own mouth? I’ve experienced that in both good and bad ways. Occasionally, words came too quickly, followed by regret. Other times, words of wisdom and peace came from my mouth while my ears were astonished to hear them. This reminds me of some words of Jesus. In Luke we receive “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” in his teaching others how to be his followers (Luke 6:45). In Matthew we read “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” as part of his scathing rebuke against the Pharisees (Matt. 12:34).
The way that we react to life’s curveballs can tell us a lot about our heart-posture. Not that our reactions are the sum of us, but if we can honestly evaluate why we react to things the way we do, we will gain much understanding. Thank God, literally, that we have better High Priest in Jesus that is “discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” and not just our actions or words (Heb. 4:12).
As I read and consider the reactions and responses of people like Zechariah or Mary in the early parts of the Gospel, I am reminded of others throughout scripture. In Genesis 17:17 it states that “Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, ‘Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?’” And later, when Sarah was listening to the words of the Lord to Abraham “about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son” she also laughs to herself as a response to the news (Gen. 18:9-15). However, the Lord reacts to each of these quite differently. Although their reactions may sound the same, it appears their heart-postures are not. 
What are our heart-postures toward God? How we approach God throughout our ups and downs of life matter. Do we trust God in good times and bad, through blessings and broken hearts? Or perhaps we feel jilted and jaded, and approach God with sarcasm and distrust. 
Immanuel, Even If
One of my favorite names found in all of scripture is Immanuel. Advent calls attention to Jesus fulfilling the prophecy from the book of Isaiah while the Lord is reassuring Joseph about the birth of Mary’s son (Matt. 1:18-25, Isa. 7, 8). This name means “God with us”.
While Immanuel is only name-dropped a couple of times throughout scripture, the Bible is packed with themes of “God with us”, or its first-person counterpart- God telling people “I will be with you”. Once you have your ear attuned to these phrases, the theme of God being with us becomes easier to spot.
God chose to be with us, and for us. Are we with Him and for Him? Do we trust God in all of our circumstances, or just when we are feeling on top, blessing, and prospering? When faced with the very real threat of burning alive for not worshiping the king’s idols, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego trusted God enough to say, “even if” God doesn’t save us from the fire, we are still His (Dan. 3:14-21).
 Despite their circumstances, they had peace about their fate- peace in spite of unfavorable circumstances. God didn’t save them from experience of being thrown into the fire. He was in the fire with them! 
Know Trust, Know Peace
Our circumstances don’t change God’s desire to be with us, to be Immanuel. Jesus fulfills Immanuel even if – I am too old, unqualified, too young, too poor, uncomfortable, the seas are rough, the stakes are high, I may be vulnerable, I don’t have answers, I don’t see results, I don’t have the upper hand, I may lose my status, my friends, my family, my credibility. Whatever our situation, Jesus is Emmanuel- even in the “even ifs”. When we trust God, we can experience his Peace in spite of our circumstances. Just like any other relationship, if we don’t have trust, we won’t have peace. 
Help us trust you more, our Prince of Peace.