Merry Christmas, and thanks for joining us for today's reading from the Our Daily Bread Devotional.

Amy Boucher Pye wrote today's encouragement, and she titled it, The Prince of Peace.

When John's cold turned into pneumonia, he ended up in the hospital.

At the same time, his mother was being treated for cancer a few floors above him,

and he felt overwhelmed with worries about her and about his own health.

Then, on Christmas Eve, when the radio played the carol, O Holy Night,

John was flooded with a deep sense of God's peace.

He listened to the words about it being the night of the dear Savior's birth.

A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

In that moment, his worries about himself and his mother vanished.

This dear Savior born to us, Jesus, is the Prince of Peace, as Isaiah prophesied.

Jesus fulfilled this prophecy when he came to earth as a baby, bringing light and salvation to,

as Matthew 4 puts it, those living in the land of the shadow of death.

He embodies and gives peace to those he loves, even when they face hardship and death.

There in the hospital, John experienced the peace that passes all understanding as he pondered

the birth of Jesus.

This encounter with God strengthened his faith and sense of gratitude as he lay in that

sterile room away from his family at Christmas.

May we too receive God's gift of peace and hope.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Isaiah chapter 9, verses 1 through 7.

Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress.

In the past, he humbled the land of Zebulin and the land of Naftali, but in the future he will

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