That We Might Have Peace

Isaiah 53:2–12

[2] For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
[3] He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

[4] Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
[5] But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
[6] All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

[7] He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
[8] By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
[9] And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.

[10] Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
[11] Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
[12] Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors. (ESV)

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Grief, sorrow, affliction. We read those words with different eyes now, right? They carry new thoughts and feelings and experiences in this season. A different weight and the same weight all at once. This passage encompasses humankind’s utter destitution of soul and prophesies a Redeemer who will bear the burden and punishment of our sin and make intercession for His children. 

Here’s where I’m finding encouragement for us today: 

-PEACE: We’re struggling under this consistent anxiety the last two weeks. Change, grief, fears and worries. Loss of control. But we must remember today that Christ, our good Savior, has borne the very cross for us. The punishment for our sin. He suffered that we might have peace! Everlasting, unwavering, supernatural peace. The kind of peace that comes from our forever being known. From one day reaching our home that is void of sorrow, pain, sickness and suffering. 

No, we don’t know what will become of our checking or retirement accounts. We don’t know when we will get to hug one another or meet for coffee again. We don’t know if this virus will bring death to our bodies or take the lives of our loved ones. We don’t know the earthly suffering that lies ahead. But, we do know that Christ has carried our suffering. He lived and died and rose again that we might have peace!! Peace abundant. Peace eternal. If we allow our circumstances to determine our well-being, we will find ourselves on a moment-by-moment roller coaster of emotions. We negate the value of what Christ has done when we choose to succumb over and over again to worry and fear. We say, “It just was not enough.”

-APPLICATION: Stockpile Scripture. Here’s what I mean—keep reading God’s word so you can fight the temptation to fear and worry. Cling to God’s promises. Memorize them. Pray them back to God. Share them with others. Put them up on your mirrors and windows and walls. Immerse yourself in truth. Pray with faith in who God is. Christ intercedes for us, friends. That alone should give us great courage to pray boldly. Remind yourself of God’s character—that He’s good and sovereign and gentle and mighty-to-save. Pray to Him, remembering who He is. Encourage the saints. We can so quickly forget what Christ has done. Speak truth to one another. Share what God is doing in your life. Sing your thankfulness and gratitude. Pray for one another to stand firm in the battle for peace. 

We can live with hope because Christ has lived the life we couldn’t live. He has taken on the punishment we were due. He defeated death itself and lives that we might have new life in Him. Cling to who He is and what He has done. Receive the gift of His peace today. 

Restless

I’m done with the Facebooks, the Minimalism, the Organics and Green.

The Soap-Box stands, the Selfies, the Budgets and the

Something News.

Change.

Declutter.

Get fit.

Almond milk. No, whole fat cow’s milk. No, soy. No, Ripple?

Say something. Tone down. YOLO.

Sell it all and travel. Homeschool. Pack up the kids and teach as you visit new places and people and

What’s all this for? I mean, really. Why?

The tummy, it bulges. The wrinkles appear. The kids hate their schooling and the piles don’t clear. Cancer’s present with kale and we say things that hurt. We upsize and downsize, we flip and convert.

And still. Emptiness.

Chasing.

Something Else.

Rapidly our hearts beat.

Open phone. Click app. Scroll down. Scroll up. Refresh. Close app. Open app…

“Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in Thee.”

“…for Thyself.”

“…restless…”

“…find..”

“…rest in Thee.”

That hole it will haunt. That tummy will despair. The kids will overwhelm and the health doesn’t care. We’ll keep chasing and filling all the hopes, many dreams. Until in the Messiah our desperate searches

Cease.

 

 

That’s why. All this. Yes, now I can see.

Hope and meaning and purpose.

Sin…but forgiveness. Wrath…but redemption.

For HIS glory. Because of His great love.

Light has come to the darkness! Great joy to despair! Order to chaos. Breathe in the air of

Peace.

 

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Philippians 3:8

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” (ESV)

When You Need to Recharge

“Powdery shades of blues, greys, whites stretch across a softly glowing sky. Moss drips from the river-fed trees hovering over the calm waters. Squirrels, geese, vultures, crickets and cicadas declare the day’s end and the arrival of the night. Families stroll with no hurry to destination, for, it’s summer. Conversations, laughter, gracious touches. The hustle dies. The stress is put away–forgotten for a few months. Now we really see those sunsets. We slow to enjoy the watermelon-drenched chins and the gentle descent of the sunlight. It’s a warming of body, mind and spirit.”

I had to pause to sense that all. I needed to get away to see it, feel it, smell it, experience it. I love life with my people. That handsome man of mine and our beautiful children. But just over a year ago, I learned something about myself. In order for me to recharge, a few hours alone here and there wasn’t going to cut it. It took me nearly that entire time just to stop thinking about everything I needed to get done. To leave home behind. So we decided I’d take fewer but longer trips away. By myself. To sleep, read, write, rest, be quiet. Do whatever I needed to do to come back and love my tribe well.

There’s this new term of “self-care” going around. I haven’t read a lot about it, but it seems to be this idea of caring for oneself well so we can care for others. I’m totally on board with that. I see the importance of taking care of our bodies, minds, and spirits. Not neglecting it as we care for those around us. My breaks are really that in essence. But I also feel this idea of “self-care” is being used in a way to justify indulgence. I “deserve” a massage, pedicure, shopping spree, vacation….I “need” this to be the best mom/friend/wife/employee. And that’s where I’d totally disagree. A dear friend of mine pointed out how much Jesus gave and gave and gave. We know through the Bible that He did take the time to rest and be restored. But Jesus recharged by drawing away and spending time with His Father.

If you are burnt out. If you are weary. If you are overwhelmed with life, the most fulfilling thing you can do is be in the presence of your Almighty Creator. Read His word. Be with His people. Pray. Meditate on truth. Take your focus back to the eternal. He alone can give you living water. He alone can satisfy your weary soul. Maybe you need to get away to do that, in some form or fashion. And if there happens to be an opportunity to save up and get your nails done, praise God for that. But remember, He, Himself, is more than enough. More than enough.

All that said, I thought I’d take you on a little walk through what my breaks look like. These times away are precious to me. Your restoration might not look like mine. But I’d encourage you to discover what best refreshes you.

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I wanted to be immersed in nature. Art at its most glorious. This was the view from my balcony. We had a free hotel stay, and I was so thankful to use it. The trees, the water, the blue skies and white clouds, birds singing.

 

A place to read and write. I prepared my lesson for Sunday, journaled, continued reading in a couple of books, and walked through a devotional study here.

I watched every minute of that sunset. Just me and a park bench. I read and wrote a little, but I mostly just watched and listened. Ducks, geese, cicadas, crickets, deer, children, live music.

Candles. Smells really impact my time. I purchased some soy candles with essential oils and enjoyed the feeling of home away from home.

Order. My days feel chaotic most of the time. I slowed to unpack, even though I was only staying a night. I hung up clothing, set out my shoes, put away my other items in drawers.

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. Rather than sleeping in, I set my alarm for before the sunrise. Even though it was cloudy, I was up to witness it. I found a small diner in town that was cheap and delicious. I greatly enjoyed the conversations I had with the owner and my waitress. For lunch, I found a cozy Italian deli that was bright and inviting and had a view to the outside patio area. I ate slowly and enjoyed every bite.

I wrapped up my time journaling to my kids while drinking a rich and steamy cup of coffee. It was all pretty perfect, actually. God paved the way, and my husband helped it happen.

I didn’t “need” any of this. God has been so faithful to help me thrive right smack in the middle of crazy and hard and mundane. But I sure will praise Him for providing it. And I hope I look more like Him as a result of soaking up His creation, His people, and His presence.