This is Christmas Eve.

Yesterday we discussed “The Night Before Christmas,” but now that day is actually here. Do you have all your shopping done or do you have to make one more, last-second trip? And what gifts are you hoping for?

Even though we like to receive gifts, Christmas is all about giving. That’s the whole reason for this holiday—God gave his Son, the greatest gift. So we celebrate his birth, and we honor him by giving gifts to others.

The gift-giving didn’t end in Bethlehem, however. In today’s verse, we hear Jesus talking with the disciples, his closest followers. Do you see the gift he promises to them? It’s “peace of heart and mind.” And notice that this peace differs from the kind they could expect to find in society. It’s deep. It’s lasting. It’s real. Peace of heart involves security and joy. Peace of mind involves understanding and believing that God is real and in control.

Soon after hearing that promise, immediately following Jesus’ crucifixion, the disciples would be scattered and then hunted and persecuted. Jesus knew that he would be resurrected from the dead, but he also knew that he would leave the disciples again and that they would face difficult times in the world. So he promised them peace. He offers us the same gift today.

What a Savior we serve! He just keeps giving gifts. And what an amazing gift this is: peace of heart and mind.

No matter what your life is like and regardless of what you are going through this holiday season, God has a gift for you—his Son, Jesus. Jesus has a gift for you, too—peace. It comes from trusting in him, the Prince of Peace.

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn’t like the peace the world gives. So don’t be troubled or afraid (John 14:27).

To Do

On a piece of paper, make two columns. Label one “Heart” and the other “Mind.” Under Heart, list the feelings you experience that are anything but peaceful (anxiety, fear, and others). And under Mind list the situations or thoughts that threaten your peace (crime, disasters, doubts, and so forth). Then think of how knowing Christ can calm those feelings and ease those concerns. And thank God for his gift of peace.

Also on this day

This is National Eggnog Day.

1818—Franz Gruber of Oberndorf, Germany, composed the music for “Silent Night” to words written by Josef Mohr.

1948—The first completely solar-heated house became occupied in Dover, Massachusetts.

1965—A meteorite weighing about 100 pounds landed in Leicestershire, England.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.