WHY IS PEACE SO DIFFICULT FOR ME TO FIND AND ENJOY?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would
have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea. 
(Isaiah 48:18)

MEDITATION:
“Peace” is described as ‘a state of calmness’.
It is almost unfathomable to imagine the existence of calmness 
in the high energy world we live in today.
There are times when we may experience a time of tranquility, but we fail 
to enjoy it because we anticipate the arrival of turmoil at any moment.

Some people get the idea that peace is a state of aloneness, 
where we isolate and insulate ourselves from the turmoil around us.
Living in a silo doesn’t sound like a very exciting way to live, does it?
Do we really think God wants us to avoid interacting with others, 
and creating an inactive life in order to find, and enjoy peace?

The scriptures tell us that we can have ‘peace like a river’. 
A river is far from inactive; it is constantly moving 
and encountering all kinds of twists and turns.
Parts of the river may be straight and uneventful, 
but other parts of it can be quite turbulent.
If you have ever seen some white water rapids, you know how quickly 
a serene river can quickly change into a raging and powerful body of water.  

A river does not come to a screeching halt whenever obstacles appear;
instead it finds ways to navigate around the obstacles 
as it continues on its way.

When we visualize a river in its entirety, we can see that
it is not a stand alone entity, but it is fed by other tributaries.
And, at the end of a river, 
it feeds into other bodies of water which contributes to their growth.
It is no surprise that a river is associated with peacefulness.

We can see that God wants us to understand how the peace He provides 
will allow us to continue living an exciting life, 
with a capacity to cope with obstacles that try to 
frustrate us and destroy our desire to keep moving forward.

On the surface a river may appear completely calm in some locations 
and unsettled at other locations, but one thing for sure, 
it continues on its journey to its destination.
The river is a good representation of how our lives can fluctuate 
due to the outside influences we face daily. 

So, what prevents us from enjoying peace in the midst of the storms of life?
The scriptures tell us that it is because 
we have failed to ‘pay attention to God’s commands’.
And why would we do that, especially since our God wants what is best for us?
This is what the LORD says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you,
who directs you in the way you should go. (Isaiah 48:17)

Rather than listen to His teaching, 
we have decided that we will direct ourselves in the way we want to go.
God wants to direct us in the way we need to go (that includes the benefit 
of peace), but our desires have convinced us that we know more than He does.
And as a result, we have forfeited our dependence on His wisdom, and 
decided that we can live independently, without His influence and guidance.

ACTION:
Do you struggle in your efforts to find and enjoy peace?
Read Isaiah 48:17-18 again and decide if you, 
(1) realize that God wants what is best for you, 
(2) accept that He has a desire to 
      teach you what is best for you and to guide you in that direction, 
(3) trust Him enough to depend on Him instead of trying to chart your own paths.

God has assured you that when you ‘pay attention to’ (obey) His commands, you 
will have ‘peace like a river’ and a ‘well-being like the waves of the sea’.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, You know how much I desire to have the peace 
in my life that only You can provide. Help me to pay attention to 
Your commands and to strive to be obedient to You. Forgive me 
for the times I have ignored Your instructions and have taken 
control of my life instead of surrendering to You and allowing the 
Holy Spirit to direct my paths.” 

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