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Bethlehem Jesse Tree symbol

A promise of peace

December 19

Read: A selection from Micah 5:1-5

But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
    who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
    one who is to rule in Israel,
… And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
    to the ends of the earth;
and he shall be the one of peace.

Read the full passage.

Listen:

Do you know what a prophecy is? It’s kind of like a promise about the future. A prophecy tells us what’s going to happen.

When someone tells you something that’s going to happen, do you usually believe it? Maybe you believe it if your dad says he’ll pick you up from school, but not if your sister says she’ll let you play with her toy. It depends on who is making the promise!

When God or his prophets say something, it will definitely happen. So when God’s prophet Micah says that someone is coming who will rule Israel, he really means it. A king is coming who will stand and feed his flock—he’ll take care of his people. And he will bring peace everywhere he goes.

Micah prophesied that many, many years ago. But Jesus really came! He cared for his people and was full of peace.

We can be confident that Jesus will come again and his peaceful kingdom will stay forever. He is the Prince of Peace.

Wonder:

How does it feel when a promise is broken? Why can we trust God’s promises?

Pray:

Prince of Peace, you are a good and loving king. I can’t wait for you to come back. Amen.

This devotion is part of

The Jesse Tree Story:
A Family Advent Devotional

Each devotion in this family Advent devotional invites you into the story of someone on Jesus’s family tree. These devotions will show young children how God was preparing for Jesus to be born across many generations. Each story pairs with a symbol you can hang on your own Jesse Tree.

Get the devotional
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