What Can We Learn about Peace from Isaiah 9:6?
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Encouragement is powerful. Raising kids, I’ve learned an iota of encouragement goes a lot farther than an hour of pointed wisdom. Praise releases pressure. Everyone needs to be reminded who they are, because our surroundings are quick to tell us otherwise. There is always a new benchmark to reach, skill to perfect, or person to please. If we allow ourselves to be guided by the world’s standards, we’ll never be at peace. True peace is found by resting our lives on His shoulders. Jesus, Prince of Peace.
New life ushers in peace. This is why following Christ has nothing to do with rules and regulations. When we are all in for the Lord, He changes us from the inside out. We will naturally want to do what honors Him. Our daily lives will naturally bring glory to God when we walk out His will for us obediently. The apostle John recorded these words of Jesus:
Peace is found in letting go. We fight for peace when we submit to His will and authority. We battle the elements of this world by allowing the Spirit to bend us into people who resemble Him. As we obey God, blessing and favor rain down on our lives. The prosperity of following the Lord doesn’t align with the riches and ambitious achievements of the world. Sometimes we have much and hold high positions. Sometimes it’s the high position He gives us in the lives of our neighbors, kids, and the opportunity to have a life-saving conversation with someone in the grocery store aisle. All is for the glory of God. Paul wrote,
When we allow the peace of Christ to surpass our understanding, His peace will lead our lives into experiences so amazing we will live out our days awe-struck by the glory of God.
Trust God. Isaiah wrote, “You keep completely safe the people who maintain their faith, for they trust in you” (Is. 26:3).
Trust is hard to earn and easily lost. This is typically what we tell ourselves as we walk through the ways of the world. But God’s ways are not our ways. We can trust Him, period. He will not ever give us a reason not to trust Him. He is trustworthy. When we put our full trust in Him, through Christ Jesus, we will embrace and experience peace to the fullest extent possible this side of heaven.
Let’s pray for the discipline to focus on what God says, and who He is, through every decision, doubt, feeling, and deterrent. The result is peace.
Additional Resources
Dictionary of Bible Themes. Martin H. Manser, 2009
New Spirit Filled Bible. Thomas Nelson Publishers. 2013.
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Photo credit: Unsplash/Christopher Sardegna
