Peace Like a River
- Jilian Brown
- Feb 27, 2022
- 4 min read
For thus says the LORD:
“Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river,
and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream;
and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip,
and bounced upon her knees.
As one whom his mother comforts,
so I will comfort you;
you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice;
your bones shall flourish like the grass;
and the hand of the LORD shall be known to his servants,
and he shall show his indignation against his enemies.
Isaiah 66:12-14, ESV
I grew up in the desert of New Mexico, but our town was special. We had the delight of having the Pecos River run through town. There were opportunities for swimming, boating, jet skiing, and best of all--Christmas On the Pecos. People come from all over every year to take a boat ride down the river at Christmas time and see all the riverfront houses decorated to the nines in Christmas lights.
When I was a teenager, my family went to Idaho on a summer vacation. Because my dad and I were big fans of kayaking, we decided to try inflatable kayaking while there. It was very different than our previous experiences kayaking in Florida and elsewhere with smooth or open water. I realized quickly that whitewater kayaking was a whole other sport requiring more vigilance and core strength. I watched our guide demonstrating what to do if you fall over--just turn all the way around in the water and sit back up. Mind you, the water was also freezing cold. We made it and it was fun, but I realized that rivers can be different from my tranquil Pecos River. Rivers can be treacherous. Rivers can twist and turn, cut through and around boulders, and move at a pace that can be terrifyingly brisk. The narrower the canyon, the rougher the water. It is as if the pressure of two sides is squeezing the water into an aggressive state.
Peace is like a river as the Scriptures and songs say. We tend to think of that river like my beloved Pecos--always calm and predictable and smooth. We equate peace in our language with the absence of conflict and war. The definition of peace, or "shalom" in Hebrew and "eirene" in Greek, is completeness, wholeness, or my personal favorite: “when all essential parts are joined together.” Chris van der Walt states in his study of shalom:
"It was found that shalom is never described in Isaiah and Micah in terms of the absence of a modality such as war, but in terms of relationships. Peace is therefore not a condition established by people, but exists primarily within a relationship between God and people."
Our God is a God of peace because He is the source of wholeness. Our broken hearts, souls, and lives are never complete until we allow His peace like a river to flow through us. The antidote for our anxiety, fragmentation, and the missing pieces of ourselves is shalom. It is well with our souls when that peace part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit is rising in us with a power we could never muster on our own.
I prefer serenity and calmness. I am by nature a conflict-avoidant person. I do not want to endure times of aggressive peace cutting this way and that. Isaiah 66 is a beautiful eschatological picture of what is to come in the future for those who love God. However, we live in the "already, but not yet" kingdom of God which still has battles with the forces of evil in our world. There are times when peace feels like it is flowing through treacherous ground, squeezed from both sides, flowing to the tributary ahead. The goal is always human flourishing by creating more and more whole and complete people. This is why peace-making is so important. It is not without struggle, though. Christ is the ultimate peace-maker, to the point He gave His life that we might have reconciliation with God. This reconciliation is the way to true peace and we become peace-makers as we love others and show them the light of Christ. Peace is not non-action, but right action.
Van der Walt concluded in his study:
"Therefore, peace does not depend on circumstances, but on the relationship with the person in whose presence one is. Peace is therefore received from God and distributed in a servant capacity to other people. Only when God’s presence is established in the hearts and minds of people, will there be no need for implements of war."
It is possible to have and make peace in any circumstance. May our prayers not be passive to this end, but rather active and often. As we watch in horror as forces of darkness rise up and threaten peace in Ukraine, we can boldly ask God right now to use boulders of men and women to push peace through, even when it has to flow aggressively and by aggressive means. These servants who are acting as peace-makers have my utmost respect, honor, and prayers daily as they try to bring about wholeness in utter chaos. May we get on our knees and beg the Prince of Peace to show His mighty power against evil. May the tribulation lead swiftly to the tributary.
I am praying Numbers 6:24-26 over all the peace-makers and innocent people in Ukraine:
“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”
May the mothering comfort of God as described in Isaiah 66 be yours. Shalom.
Citations and Resources:
Comments