Where is Our Peace?

Isaiah 53:5

"But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace."

All around us at this frantic time of year is the thought of peace.  We long for it, we hope for it, we search for it.  Yet it feels at times that we can never really find it.

What really brings us peace? Is it the end of conflict? Is it the satisfaction of a job well done? Is it relief from illness? Is it the quiet after a day of incredible noise? All of these are a type of peace but they are hollow and fleeting.

Real peace - the peace that passes all understanding is wrapped up in the life of Christ, the babe that was born to die.

Imagine what it must have been like to be a shepherd on the hillside keeping watch when the angels burst forth with the proclamation "Fear not!" I bet that rocked their world and shook up the peace of that night.Their peace, like ours was comprised of earthly peace. Now all of a sudden the angelic host ushered in a new peace - the promised peace.

The shepherds sought out the one that the angels heralded - the Prince of Peace.  He was the one foretold by the prophet Isaiah hundreds of years before. This Prince brought the lasting peace, the one that our hearts cry out for. This peace cost Him everything.

He bore the chastisement that was meant for me, for you, for the whole world. This sacrifice brought about the lasting peace that we all long for. The penalty of our iniquities was laid upon Him and He bore it all for one reason - He loved.

And so during this time of year when we sing of goodwill and peace on earth, I will be mindful that it is so much more than what is commonly believed.  This is the peace that will take me into eternity to live in relationship with the One who bore it all. This peace is the greatest gift of all.

The Desires of My Heart

This morning I was thinking a lot about the desires of my heart.  And this verse came to my mind.  It seems that over the course of time I have really been confused about what the desires of my heart should be.

This verse starts out by saying that my primary focus should be delighting myself in the Lord.  In doing that He will give me the desires of my heart.

Reflecting over the years of my life I see that my focus was on myself - not on delighting God.  In so doing the desire of my heart was selfish.  All I wanted and all that I strove for was to feel precious to someone.  I did not see completely that I was and still am precious to someone.  I am precious to the only One that really matters in the long run.   

By putting the focus on myself instead of on God I pursued acceptance at any cost.  I went down paths that hindered me and brought harm to those that loved and cared for me. And ultimately, I still did not have the true desire of my heart.  There still was a longing that only God can fill.

It still is difficult for me to not fall prey to the desire to be loved by everyone.  I find myself still striving to make everyone happy.  But, perhaps not as much as I once did.  Perhaps there has been some growth in delighting myself in the Lord.  I am seeing more and more that His will for me is perfect and will lead me to the place where my heart's desire will be to surrender all that I am to Him and to obediently follow what I know to be true and right.  Each day will find me walking closer to Him and less in the things that drew me away. 

God does often allow us to "get" the desires of our heart when we manipulate situations or completely disobey what He has told us in His Word.  When we do this we may temporarily feel we have gotten what we thought we wanted but we will likely find that it was a shallow and fleeting delight.  We can also discover that it was a complete sham.  Thankfully, His grace covers these times of wandering after the things we so desperately thought would bring us happiness.  It is only when we put our focus on delighting in Him that we can truly have the desires of our heart that bring us joy, peace, happiness and love.  There is no question that to live out life in this way will bring the ultimate contentment we so long for.

White as Snow

This morning we got our first dusting of snow here in south central PA.  I always look at snow with mixed emotions.  I am not really a fan of the cold that accompanies it but I am truly a fan of what snow represents in my life.

God's word says that "though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." So as I look out my window and I see the snow I am reminded of this truth.

My life has certainly not been what I would have liked it to be.  I made choices along the way that took me off of the path that God had laid out for me.  Choices that hurt many along the way and more importantly, hurt the God that I love.  But, I can rejoice in the words of Zephaniah that my God will save, He will rejoice and He will quiet my heart and exult over me with love.  My sins though they are scarlet, they shall be whiter than snow.  What a joy to reflect upon.

None of us are without sin.  We all have fallen short of God's standard.  Yet, He provided the way of salvation.  It is at this season of advent that we reflect on the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  He who knew no sin became sin for us.  And because the penalty has been paid our debt of sin has been erased. 

As Christmas approaches, I am choosing to reflect on forgiveness.  This forgiveness, so freely given is there for the taking.  Examine your heart.  Are you looking to Jesus as the Savior of your soul?  Do you recognize Him as the one who washes your sins and makes you whiter than snow?  Can you sense that He is rejoicing over you because of His great love?  I am.  Praising Him for the time so long ago when I made my profession of faith.  Praising Him that despite some detours along the way that I am now seeking to know Him more deeply and more profoundly with each passing day.  Praising Him for the snow that reminds me of His cleansing of all my sin!  What a Savior!