Peace on Earth

Blog 12.6.2021

Peace

There is something to be said about this time of year. The days are colder and darker, and the harvest gathering for the year is complete. Hibernating animals have it figured out as they begin their wintery slumber. It can be a difficult time of year to find any semblance of delight. And yet, people are a little kinder and more forgiving all over the world. Someone can cut in front of you in the grocery store, and we extend a little more grace. Although there may be more hustle and bustle during this season, people are generally cheerier and more good-natured. Every year we string out our decorations, or at least we are encouraged to put them up earlier and earlier. I see all of these signs as indications of what humanity wants.

Peace.

Peace is a fantastic concept that is pervasive throughout the Bible. The Old Testament references peace as a courteous greeting, restoration to health, length of life, and cessation from conflict (even in a grocery store). However, it is most often conveyed as a sense of completeness, security, and, therefore, tranquility found in a person’s life. Passages like Psalm 37:37, 119:165; Isaiah 32:17; Proverbs 3:2 inform us that we gain peace when observing God’s ways and walking uprightly.  This is because God is described as the originator and giver of peace. When we walk in close connection to God and His Word, we gain a fullness, increased well-being, and serenity that nothing originating in this world can grant. The Aaronic Blessing to the people of Israel expresses this concept well.

Numbers 6:24-26
“The LORD bless you and keep you; 25 The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; 26 The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”

We all know that the Israelites’ existence was full of conflict and wars. From Joshua and Judges to the end of our scrolls regarding Old Testament history, 2 Chronicles, earthly peace was an elusive concept for the Israelites. So, it is no wonder that peace became an ideal closely tied to the future of the coming Messiah.

Isaiah 9:6-7
“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of [His] government and peace [There will be] no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

God’s people were eagerly awaiting a time when completeness and tranquility would reign in a physical kingdom. But never fully understanding that we might obtain true peace through God’s laws and presence.

For us today, we realize that peace comes because of Jesus. Through his life and death, we realized what peace is and what it means for us. It is a peace bestowed through the Spirit (Romans 14:17, Galatians 5:22), especially when we don’t feel complete or tranquil. It is a peace in connection with God and the division of Jew and Gentile (Ephesians 2:13-18); the cross ends the hostility between each party.

There is a world that is hungering for peace. Our desire for peace becomes more evident every year. Sadly, like God’s people of old, most of humanity struggle with true peace. Peace becomes a concept that is foreign and unobtainable. Not understanding that true peace, a peace that emanates from within, comes from knowing God and His Son. Some people can attempt to mimic this peace for about a month. Still, eventually, that well runs dry, and they resume their usual tendencies. For the Christian, peace and joy are not token sentiments held for winter activities but something we should radiate every day because of the presence of God in our lives. The world needs peace. The world is craving peace. They desire peace with each other, finding internal peace, and, most importantly, peace with God.

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

(Luke 2:14 NIV)



In The Morning


Amanda and I are reasonably regimented when it comes to our kid’s bedtime routine. For our family, we try to get our boys to bed by 8 PM. We are not inflexible about it, but it is a rarity for them to up too late. A couple of weeks ago, we had the Maldonado family over, and the kids were playing well, so we let bedtime slide a little as the adults laughed and conversed. Theo and Cooper were having a ton of fun and must not have realized how late it was. Once the boys emerged from their room, Cooper noticed the change in environment and exclaimed, “Dark! Sun go down!” He was utterly mortified that the world he entered into was dark and not what he expected. Theo must have also been surprised as he quickly shouted to our company, “It’s late, you need to go!” Ceremoniously ending the night and ushering our guests out of our home.
There are moments in our lives that we, too, emerge into a realm of darkness. The world is not as we would have it. We become shocked and upset by what we see. Ideally, we would want our world to be the same every day, but that is seldom the case.
 
Few people enjoy poetry, and an even smaller amount appreciate Near Eastern dirge poetry like the book of Lamentations. If you have not read the book in a while, I completely understand why you choose to avoid it. There is wisdom to be collected from its pages. In perhaps the darkest moment of Judah’s history, the people mourn and grieve the destruction of their country and capital, Jerusalem, as they are conquered by the Babylonians and endure a brutal siege lasting longer than 18 months. It is very dark and distressing literature to read and would have been all the more horrifying to live it. Yet, there is a ray of hope embedded within the text Lamentations 3:19-26.
 
Lamentations 3:19-26
I remember my affliction and my wanderings,
the wormwood and the gall!
20 My soul continually remembers it
and is bowed down within me.
21 But this I call to mind,
and therefore, I have hope:
22 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore, I will hope in him.”
25 The LORD is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.
26 It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.
 
The author of this poem expertly places this juxtaposition on their present condition and their solid foundation. However, they do not stop there as they recall their calamities and troubles; their persistence and resilience come from another source. Their foundation, the reality that they draw strength from, is not on the happenstance of life; it is on God, the basis of their hope. Their resilience comes from knowing the God will not fail them, that His love is never-ending. Consider this writer has endured 18 months of death and destruction. They are not guaranteed the next day, but they know it is better not to wallow in the darkness; it is better to wait patiently. I want us to keep in mind that the blessing does not come from deliverance, and the benefit comes from waiting quietly and seeking God.

Like my boys, sometimes we emerge into darkness and wonder what is happening around us. We can choose to wallow in that misery, to sit down and writhe in the agony that is life. Or we can realize that the night is only temporary and that the sun will rise in just a few hours.

We seek, we wait, we hope in the God that brings the morning.
 


Nowhere But Up