Peace Like a River

For thus says the Lord:
“Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river,
and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream-Isaiah 66:12a

Peace like a river. Is this what you think of? Puffy clouds, gentle breezes, birds singing?

The night before Jesus died, he told his disciples this:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. -John 14:27

Twenty-four hours later, his body lay in a tomb. The river the disciples navigated looked like this.No peace there. The Anointed One, the Messiah they’d followed for three years, the one they’d expected to usher in the Kingdom of Heaven, was dead. I’m guessing no one recalled Jesus’s exhortation to not be afraid. In fact, the next time we see the disciples, they’re cowering in the upper room.

We have the luxury of being Monday morning quarterbacks.  It makes me want to whisper into their fear,

Hey, guys, hang tight. He’s coming back.

I’m not diminishing their distress. They thought all was lost. And what about us? Maybe we know that we know that God’s in control. That, one day, he’ll make all things new. We’ve got Romans 8:28 on a sticky note on the bathroom mirror.

And yet, this is the trajectory of our life.

I used to have major anxiety. I woke up every morning with dread. When I was in school, my main objective was to get through the day without making a fool of myself or drawing attention to myself in any way. I was thrilled when I was sick enough to stay home. It meant I didn’t have to pull on a facade and hope to make it through the day.

What changed?

I surrendered to Jesus’s lordship in high school, and I’ve been learning to trust him as Yahweh Shalom ever since.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7

Do storms still come? Of course. But I’m in a lifeboat instead of a rowboat. He takes me through the storm, surrounded by his protection.