13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
Notice the reaction of these heavenly beings. They praise God. Isn’t that what heavenly beings always seem to be doing? There must be something about being in the presence of God that elicits praise. God’s character and being must be so great that the only reaction is praise. Remember, there are not tears, or sorrow or pain in God’s presence in heaven. If you take all the negative things out of life, wouldn’t our life be filled with praise and thanksgiving, gratitude and gratefulness? Think about your life for a moment. Remove the negative things, all of them. What would you have left? The absence of trouble and sorrow is peace. This is the message of these heavenly beings. God gets glory and we get to experience peace. The same peace that these heavenly beings experience all the time, we get to experience. What worries do they have? None! Cares and concerns? Ridiculous! They are in God’s presence. His provision is always available to them. When God’s peace is present, God is present. God’s favor rested on those who heard this message from the angels because they were receiving the good news about Jesus entering the world. God’s salvation plan was finally going to be completed. No more waiting for fulfillment. Fulfillment was here, in that little baby and his life. God’s favor rests on use when we follow Jesus. His heavenly glory and peace are with us as we walk day by day. Even in our darkest moments, God is with us. Too often we don’t recognize that presence and peace. That is why we feel so alone during those moments. But the reality for the Jesus-follower is that God is always present, always ready to give peace.
The Arnold Journey 