Peace at last - 30 September 2024

“When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll;
whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, “It is well, it is well with my soul. …
My sin oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! my sin, not in part, but the whole,
is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more; praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

“O Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight, the clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
the trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend; even so, it is well with my soul.”

This hymn, penned by Horatio Gates Spafford, moves my soul like few others do, magnificently celebrating Jesus’ finished work on the cross and expectantly anticipating his Second Coming. With it comes a sense of peace and wellness of soul. Peace (shalom) if ever there was.

Skip Heitzig, senior pastor at Calvary Church, shared that, for the believer, peace is attainable now – but it is an inner peace. He also noted that, “The Bible says that peace is not the absence of conflict on the outside. It is the presence of Christ on the inside. … He will eventually come again to take away sorrow and to bring peace outside.”

As we have read over the course of the month, true peace comes only from God. It is that peace that transcends all understanding (Philippians 4:7) that we experience internally despite turmoil raging externally. Knowing and obeying the God of the universe, and relying on the peace he gives us makes the difference. “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. 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 48:17-18)

One day, Jesus is coming back. For a time, there won’t be peace, for he has always said that he had come to bring a sword (Matthew 10:34) with the ensuing disunity. Towards the closing of the age, a real battle unfolds. I marvel at the imagery and majesty of the Lord Jesus. “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords … Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. (Revelation 19:11-16,19)

God has allowed everything to happen at his exact timetable. One day on a cross, he said, “It is finished.” In the penultimate chapter of the Bible, he says, “It is done.” Someday, there will be everlasting peace (shalom) at long last: yes, peace like a river.

“He said to me:’It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.'” (Revelation 21:6-7)

Prayer: Help us to be steadfast in your Word, Lord, and equip us to help fellow friends and family to find you while the Bible says it is today. Amen