Like a gentle river

But God longs to give us his peace

Isaiah 48:12-13, 17-18 “Listen to me … I alone am God, the First and the Last. It was my hand that laid the foundations of the earth, my right hand that spread out the heavens above. When I call out the stars, they all appear in order. … I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow. Oh, that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling over you like waves of the sea.”

Jeremiah 9:24 “Those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Matthew 5:43-45 [Jesus said] You have heard the law that says, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say, love your enemies! … In that way you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.

Peace flowing like a gentle river reminds me of the delightful days our family spent on a boat on the Rio Negro (a branch of the Amazon) in 1998, our son’s choice for his “family senior trip” before he graduated from high school and moved from Brazil to the U.S. for college. We discovered there weren’t even mosquitos to trouble us in the middle of that wide, peaceful river! (It averages 8,040 feet wide!) For more adventure, we had to venture into one of the more turbulent tributaries.

Remember the 2005 Jars of Clay song, “They Will Know We Are Christians by Our Love”? Isaiah links soul-peace, shalom, to following God’s commands. And Jesus clarified for us that the most important commands are to love God and love each other.

Like me, I’m sure you flinch when you hear people link hateful, UN-loving language and actions to the name of our precious Lord Jesus.

And, like me, you then say, “Lord, please show me any ways my own un-loving attitudes and choices bring dishonor to your name.”

Because when I empty myself of anger, hurt, bitterness, hatred, shame, and resentment by naming them and asking the Holy Spirit to cleanse and heal me, I create space for him to grow in me his multi-faceted fruit of love (Galatians 5:22-23). And his peace flows through my soul. I’ve had to practice this a lot, and it’s worth it, because that’s the way I want to live.

Our longing for the Spirit’s shalom, his holistic wellbeing, permeating all aspects of our lives, reflects God’s deep desire for each of us. The Lord told Jeremiah to tell us that he delights in these things. Harmony with him results in the kind of peace that bubbles with the creative energy of goodness, energy for building others up rather than tearing them down. For healing rather than harming.

Listen with me to Joni Eareckson Tada sing “When Peace Like a River.” Her passion and generosity to others with disabilities tell me no circumstances are incompatible with God’s peace—certainly not mine.