I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like the river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea. –Isaiah 48:17-18
In a nutshell, these verses simply say; follow the Lord and you will have peace and righteousness.
When we talk about peace, most of us often think of a period of quiet rest at the end of a busy day, or a nice vacation away from the hassle of our every day lives. However, this is not the kind of peace that the Lord offers to those who walk with Him in obedience. The kind of peace He offers is described as a peace like the river. A river as we all know continuously flows through all kinds of conditions, it receives fresh supplies of water from a source, it grows as it flows, and it also nourishes so many things and people. The Lord promises this kind of peace to those who follow Him; a peace that flows through all conditions, a peace that is sustained by fresh supplies of grace from the Holy Spirit, a peace that grows as we follow Him in obedience, and a peace that nourishes the people we come into contact with. This kind of peace is not a once in a while kind of peace away from people or situations; it is a peace that will keep you even amidst people and situations.
Next the Lord offers righteousness like the waves of the sea. I do not know about you, but when I think of the waves of a sea, I think of something so powerful that it can swallow up anything that is in its path. The idea of the Lord giving us this kind of righteousness blows me away. He offers us a righteousness that can swallow up any sin in its path, never again to be remembered. He says according to Isaiah 1:18 that, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” How? He imputes righteousness in us by the blood of Christ that literally overtakes us like the waves of the sea and cleanses us from all unrighteousness.
Do these sound like things your might be interested in? Then follow Him in obedience! Follow the Lord that teaches you what is best for you and directs you in the way you should go. Become like the royal official in John 4 that took Christ at His word; become like Paul who gave his life to the Lord’s ordering and his soul to the Lord’s keeping. He will only teach you what is best for you and direct you in a path that will lead you to peace, righteousness, hope, and a future, an eternal one. Follow Him in obedience, and all of these will be yours. Walk away, and like the Israelites, your tale might begin with the words, “If only.”
Grace and peace be with you.
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