A Further Look at Peace

Last week we took a look at the last name of Jesus mentioned in Isaiah 9:6. Next month I plan on getting back to my monthly columns, but I thought this idea of the Prince of Peace something we need to sit on for a spell. Peace is a commodity that is hard to come by. Even as Christ followers we struggle with anxiety and worry, just like many people. If Jesus is the Prince of Peace, then why do we, who call Him our Savior, have such a hard time finding peace?

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Finding peace is directly related to knowing the Prince of Peace; Jesus. It isn’t just a head nod to whether Jesus was a real, historical figure, but an understanding and acceptance of why He came to earth and what He did while He was here. Even that understanding can be on an intellectual level rather than a heart level. Truth faith is committing ourselves to what God says in His word, the Bible, about who Christ is, who the Holy Spirit is, and our part in the faith process.

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.”

— Romans 5:1-2 (NASB 1995)

Once we have that relationship with our Prince of Peace we begin to grow in our walk with Him. As we read His word our understanding of His movement in our lives and our responsibilities to Him become more clear. However, we are still walking in this world, daily affected by our flesh and all of its struggles and appetites. Peace comes more easily as we walk by the Spirit rather than the flesh.

“16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. ”

— Galatians 5:16-17 (NASB 1995)

What is it, then, that destroys our peace? What keeps us from having that peace from Prince of Peace? Why do we so often strive when we are facing difficulty, rather than just having the peace that passes all understanding. Let’s look at a few thoughts.

1 - Anxiety

Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

“No amount of regretting can change the past, and no amount of worrying can change the future.”

— Roy T. Bennett - The Light in the Heart

“Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”

— Corrie Ten Boom

Here is an interesting article from Psychology Today on the difference between worry and anxiety. For this post today we are going to look at the two as one. Certainly worry can lead to anxiety, and it would be rare to have anxiety without some sort of worry.

Obviously anxiety/worry can take away our peace. If we live life in the realm of the “what if’s” we will never know the beauty of a life of peace or contentment. God’s word is very specific about worry and anxiety. Our great Creator knew we would struggle with this, so He gave us tools to use when we are in the anxious state. We’ll look at those next week, but for now, this is what the Bible says about worry and anxiety.

““For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26 Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
28 And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,
29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.”

— Matthew 6:25-29 (NASB 1995)

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

— Philippians 4:6 (NASB 1995)

2 - Unresolved Emotions

Image by Grae Dickason from Pixabay

You might wonder what I mean by unresolved emotions. I am referring to emotions that have come about due to difficult circumstances or relationships. Anger, sadness, or fear when left to fester will consume us and take away our peace.

Emotions are God’s gift to us. They give us the ability to live a full and productive life. Fear enables us to keep ourselves secure and away from harm. Sadness allows us to see that which is really important to us. Desire motivates us to do things. Anger itself can be a useful emotion if it moves us to take good action like lobbying for change or protecting someone who is being harmed. However, these emotions can also be the pathway for anxiety, bitterness, addiction, and wrath. What does the Bible say about our emotions?

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?”

— Psalm 27:1 (NASB 1995)

“Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence.”

— Psalm 42:5 (NASB 1995)

“You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing.”

— Psalm 145:16 (NASB 1995)

“Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,”

— Ephesians 4:26 (NASB 1995)

God knows our emotions better than we know them ourselves and we were created with them to use them as a way to worship and draw closer to Him. Allowing those emotions to take over will take away our peace and cause further problems. Counseling offices are full with people who are trying to figure out how to manage their run away emotions.

3 - Pride

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How does pride get in the way of having God’s perfect peace? What does the Bible say?

“Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.”

— Proverbs 16:8 (NASB 1995)

That one verse sums up God’s opinion on pride. The Bible is actually full of examples of men whose very kingdom’s fell due to their pride. Let’s not forget Satan, our enemy whose pride led to his being banished from heaven. See Ezekiel 28:13-19. Pride is the exact opposite of humility and humility is essential in our relationship with God.

Peace in our lives requires dependence on the Prince of Peace. Dependence requires a humble heart.

Next week I will share with you ways to combat these three thieves of peace. I hope you will come back again.

Have a great weekend!

A Look at Isaiah 9:6 - Part 3

I know Christmas is over, but I wanted to finish my little study of Isaiah 9:6. I thought it would be especially appropriate with all the unrest and war going on in the Middle East, and the Ukraine to pause on the last name named, the Prince of Peace.

“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace..”

— Isaiah 9:6 (NASB 1995)

Looking at the word prince we get these definitions from Webster’s Online Dictionary: the ruler of a principality or state; male member of a royal family, especially the son of a sovereign. We can see by a few different scriptures that God is the King of Kings. God the Father and Jesus His son, while different are one in the same. What the Father owns, the Son has. The King and the Prince are head, rule and authority over all.

Image by Victoria from Pixabay

“16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”

— Revelation 19:16 (ESV)

“9 And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.”

— Zachariah 14:9 (ESV)

“13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession,
14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,
16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.”

— 1 Timothy 6:13-16 (NASB 1995)

When we refer to Jesus as the Prince of Peace we are speaking about His authority over all things peaceful. This not only includes written treaties between nations that can’t see eye to eye, but peace within each of us in our chaotic, and fluctuating circumstances. But what does the word peace mean?

Webster’s defines peace in these ways: a state of tranquility or quiet such as: freedom from civil disturbance, or a state of security and order within a community provided for by law or custom; freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions; harmony in personal relations; a state or period of mutual concord between governments; a pact or agreement to end hostilities between those who have been at war or in a state of enmity; used as a greeting or farewell.

Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay

The 1960’s and 70’s often used this symbol as a greeting or farewell. It was a way of wishing one another a life of peace and serenity. During those decades, there was unrest in the world and in our country. People did not believe we should be fighting in other people’s wars and protests were plentiful especially on university campuses. The problem that arose is those protests, meant to be peaceful and serene, often became violent, the exact opposite of what the protesters wanted.

We live in a world of unrest. As long as there is sin and darkness in our world there will be war, violence and tragedy. People can work for peace, preach for peace, make laws for peace, fly banners for peace, and have calm, dignified protests for peace, but there will be no peace without Jesus.

In John 16, Jesus is talking to His disciples. He is telling them that He is going to be going away. He explains, if He doesn’t go away, the Helper will not come. The Helper Jesus is referring to is the Holy Spirit. He goes on to say this Holy Spirit will convict the world concerning sin, righteousness and judgment. Without the guiding of the Holy Spirit, we will continue to live in our sin and selfishness and we will not know peace.

“33 These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.””

— John 16:33 (NASB 1995)

The wonderful words that Jesus shares with us are these, “I have overcome the world.” Jesus, our Prince of Peace has overcome this dark, and violent world. He has given us all that we need to have peace.

I want to share more on this truth of our Prince of Peace, so I am going to extend this to next week when I will share with you some of my favorite verses on peace.

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog. Have a great weekend!

Christmas in a Verse: A Look at Isaiah 9:6 - Part 2

This verse from Isaiah 9 rests in the midst of a description of the reign of a coming prince. We believe this passage is a Messianic passage and prophetic of the coming of Jesus and his future reign. He is the child referred to in this verse and the descriptors that follow are describing him.

Since the days are flying by, this week I am going to cover Mighty God, and Eternal Father. Once again let me reiterate these words translated from Hebrew and are as close to the correct meanings as the translators could be. I decided to lump these together since there are some characteristics in common between these names.

Mighty God

While Thor is a mighty god, he is both a small “g” and a fictional character. He cannot help us at all other than to be eye candy for those of us who like to see a muscular man with long blonde hair and a beard, swinging a hammer. Ha, ha. Even Thor had his limitations. He was bound by his flesh, at least when he was on earth, and while he could bring lightning from heaven, and fight without tiring, he wasn’t everywhere present and could not save people from the greatest enemy of all, sin. Move over Thanos, sin is responsible for wiping out entire populations due to its end result, death.

BUT JESUS! Jesus is the great warrior prince. He has a legion of warriors at his right hand and he merely needs to think and it will be done. He is the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords. He met the enemy head on when He died on the cross, walked into hell and took the keys of death away from Satan, then He came out of the grave. He didn’t need a hammer, or a staff, or a spear. He worked in tandem with His Father and the Holy Spirit to give every single soul on this planet the ability to live…eternally. Not only is He God with a big “G”, but He is the Mighty God.

“The Mighty One, God, the Lord, has spoken, And summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.”

— Psalm 50:1 (NASB 1995)

“Who is this who comes from Edom,
With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah,
This One who is majestic in His apparel,
Marching in the greatness of His strength?
“It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.””

— Isaiah 63:1 (NASB 1995)

Eternal Father

Image by Sandra Hak from Pixabay (AI Generated)

Most of you are probably familiar with the term Father Christmas as a reference to Santa Claus. Father Christmas started in the English tradition in the 15th century and was a personification of the Christmas spirit. This eventually became what we now know today as Santa Claus. Once again we have a fictional being who embodies the ideal of a father who cares for and tends to his children. While Father Christmas has been around for a long time, he is not eternal. Even if we push the boundaries and say he is spirit, his formation has a place in history. In addition, Father Christmas, or Santa Claus might have a pure heart wanting to promote the ideas of love and generosity all throughout the year, he is still limited. He cannot change a person’s heart. He cannot take the addict and make them clean. He can give money, toys, clothes, food and more, but still the darkness of poverty, despair and loss continues.

Our Eternal Father is just that. He had no beginning and will have no end. In the book of Revelation, the final book, and the final word on what God’s judgement will look like for this world, we see God proclaim of Himself:

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

— Revelation 1:8 (NASB 1995)

“Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.”

— Revelation 21:6 (NASB 1995)

“ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

— Revelation 22:13 (NASB 1995)

Remember our series in Romans 8, where we discussed verses 15 - 17?

“15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”

— Romans 8:15 -17 (NASB 1995)

Our adoption into the family of God made us His children. We are no longer slaves to sin, and death. Remember, Jesus walked into hell and took the keys? Our Eternal Father gives us access to everything in His kingdom. He’s not only the best dad ever, He’s there forever.

I hope you are enjoying this look at the names of Jesus as seen in Isaiah 9. Next week, even though it is after Christmas I will discuss the Prince of Peace, and why it is even better to meditate on this name after the holidays are over.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas in a Verse: A Look at Isaiah 9:6 - Part 1

Since Advent is upon us, I thought it would be helpful to focus on a familiar verse from the Old Testament book of Isaiah for these weeks leading up to Christmas. I am going to take the names in this verse and divide them up over the next three weeks. I hope you will enjoy this look at our amazing Savior.

Image by G.C. from Pixabay

There have been numerous discussions in theological arenas as to what the original Hebrew was saying in this verse with reference to the names listed. Were there only four names, as many translations portray, or is it a list of individual names with commas in between each of the names? (ie. Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty, God, Eternal, Father, Prince, of Peace.) Or is it some combination of both with Wonderful, Counselor, and Eternal, Father being separated and the other two being an adjective describing the noun following. In order to avoid this issue, I have decided to approach this in a way that encompasses both ideas. I am no theologian, but with the Holy Spirit we all have the ability to read and learn from His word.

Today I want to look at the words Wonderful and Counselor. After doing a little bit of research it appears the word Wonderful translates more closely to wonder. When we look at Webster’s Online Dictionary wonder is defined as: a cause of astonishment or admiration; marvel; miracle; the quality of exciting amazed admiration; rapt attention or amazement at something awesomely mysterious or new to one’s experience.

If we use the word wonderful instead of wonder, it really doesn’t lose any of its meaning. Wonderful is defined as: exciting wonder; marvelous, astonishing; unusually good; admirable. Is it possible for wonder to be wonderful? It is certainly possible for the child (Jesus) who was born to us to be both a wonder and wonderful. Our savior is both the cause of our astonishment or admiration and marvelous. He is unusually good, and also a worthy mystery for us to give our rapt attention to.

The word counselor is simply one who counsels another. This could be a mental health worker, a pastor, a lawyer, a doctor, a teacher or many other entities. A father might counsel his son on how to ask a girl on a date. A financial guru might counsel someone on how to save for retirement. A police officer might advise a young person to stay out of trouble. Other words for counselor include: advisor, consultant and advocate.

Image by beate bachmann from Pixabay

There are numerous Biblical references that use the word wonder. See Psalm 9:1, 26:7, 40:5, and 72:18. God’s works are wondrous, and they are often referred to in the Bible as “your wonders.” Wonderful is also used repeatedly in the Scriptures. 1 Chronicles 16:24 speaks of God’s wonderful deeds. In Job 42:3 Job refers to the things of God as being things he did not know and things that were too wonderful for him to understand.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

The Bible is also full of examples of those who sought or used counsellors. During the time of kings in the old testament, many sought counsel, unfortunately from men who didn’t know God. See 2 Samual 15:12, 1 Kings 12:6, It seems that David always sought God’s counsel directly, just read most of the Psalms. This may be what made him a man after God’s heart.

Coming back to Isaiah 9:6 we can begin to understand, no matter how you look at these words, they are describing our Savior, Jesus Christ. He is a wonder, and He is wonderful. His is a counselor and offers us only the best and most perfect counsel in His word. Indeed, He is the Wonderful Counselor. No matter what you are facing in life; no matter how overwhelming the questions or uncertainty of the future, Jesus can lead the way. He is not only the Wonderful Counselor, He is the Way.

Have a great week.