In Perfect Peace

“My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.”

(Isaiah 26:9 ESV)

In his song for Judah, Isaiah reminds us that the yearning for God is a natural inclination for those who are saved. For those who do not yet know the Lord, this desire may be a stumbling block, a curiosity, or a source of frustration. But for us, it is a comforting truth, a validation of our spiritual journey, a reassurance that we are on the right path.

As Isaiah reminds us, when we see the Lord’s judgment in the world, it should remind us of His righteousness and sovereignty. Evil thrives in a world controlled by the prince of the power of the air, yet those whose eyes and ears will be opened will be removed spiritually from the world even though they physically exist in turmoil.

Chapter 26 in the ESV is titled, “You keep him in perfect peace.” He does, does He not? God gives us perfect peace; it is we who disrupt that peace. My tone towards my wife, lack of patience, and lack of empathy disrupt the Lord’s peace within us and, consequently, around us. I must constantly remind myself that I am in the Bible far more than most around me, and I should know better. Yet, I am human and prone to failure; we are all. It is how we react to our failures that matters.

In our failures, we must run to Christ, pray for the intervention of the Spirit, and pray for those our transgressions have impacted. It is sometimes a difficult reality to swallow when we yearn for the Lord, thirst for Him, and, in the very same breath, do that which He teaches us not to do.

Hopefully, we are sincere in our apologies, truthful in our confessions to the Lord, and humbled in our failure. We know that only the Lord can repair the damage our actions have caused to us and to those we have damaged. We pray for reconciliation on all levels, holding onto the hope that our sincere efforts will be met with grace and forgiveness.

We are constantly learning to be righteous, and our guide is the scripture that He who cleansed us teaches us. It is a challenging journey, facing the essence of sin that exists in all of us. Sometimes, the person in the mirror disappoints us and those around us. But we must strive, my brothers and sisters, to walk towards the Lord in all things and, in our failures, run to Him and repent for our sins. Remember, we who love much will be forgiven much, but only by the grace of the Lord.

Not every verse in the Bible is there to make us happy. Some verses teach us, some condemn us, some awaken us, and all help us grow. Our messages do the same. I often read my brother's messages and find myself staring into a mirror. I am far from finished growing in the Lord, and I suspect so are you, but that is okay. The Lord knows our hearts, and it is He who keeps us in perfect peace, a comforting reassurance in our faith journey.

Grace and Peace!