This chapter discusses the refinement and calling of God’s people.
“Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the Lord your God… who leads you in the way you should go. Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea; your offspring would have been like the sand, and your descendants like its grains; their name would never be cut off or destroyed from before me… There is no peace… for the wicked.’ ” (v17-19, 22 abr)
According to scripture, peace is not ‘an absence of conflict or struggle’, though it is many other things including ‘a restoration of brokenness’ and ‘a state of wholeness / completeness in your soul’. Based on that definition, how much peace do you experience on a daily basis? Are you one of the few who experiences consistent peace, or are you one of the many who would say they experience little or no peace?
This passage makes it very clear to me that God offers peace to those who become / remain obedient to Him. He does not extend peace to those who choose rebellion / sin / wickedness / disobedience.
Thankfully, God provided Jesus our savior to make peace and reconciliation with God a possibility. If you are not experiencing (enough) peace, I suggest confessing any sin to God, asking His forgiveness, and focusing on obeying His voice. When we do that, we will have “peace like a river” and “righteousness like waves of the sea”, even in the midst of life’s great trials and struggles.
Father God, our Lord of Peace and Righteousness, thank You for making a way for reconciliation. May we embrace Your forgiveness, grace, and mercy, and walk a path of obedience, so we may experience Your true peace. May that peace be a beacon to those around us, so they may also desire reconciliation with You. In the name of Jesus the Lamb of God, who paved the way for peace, we praise Your holy name. Amen.
~ Conqueror in Training