Be at Peace

Isaiah 55: 10-13: “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn bush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.”

God’s Purpose

God’s word will accomplish it’s purpose. I really needed to hear this today, because it honestly doesn’t feel like it right now. 

You see, I have had five years of wandering in the desert. Five years of asking where God is and when or if I will ever reach the promised land. I know what it’s like to feel lost, and I know what it’s like to doubt. Faith is “the evidence of things not seen”, and there is an awful lot that I am not seeing right now.

But in spite of this world’s darkness, we have a promise. No matter what happens, we can’t mess up God’s plan. Events may unfold very differently than we expect, but there is nothing we can do to make God give up on us. He is the Master of the contingency plan. 

Be at Peace

We are not promised a problem free life. But we are told we will find Joy and peace when we actively seek it out. It is so difficult to choose gratitude and contentment while you’re in the middle of a storm. But it can be incredibly powerful as well.

Did you know it’s actually okay to enjoy life? We don’t have to be productive all the time. And we don’t have to wait until all of our circumstances are perfect, because frankly that will never happen. Choose peace and joy now.

Thorns and Briers

Thorns and briers symbolize difficulties. Moses killed a man and fled Egypt. God met him in a burning thorn bush. God is right there with us in our thorn bush too. It doesn’t always feel like it, but we are promised that He will never leave us. Man, that is so hard to believe in the middle of the night while you’re having an anxiety attack! But I’ve seen enough of God’s goodness to know that it’s true. 

Juniper and Myrtle

I was curious about juniper and myrtle, so I looked them up. Both can be used medicinally. Juniper can be used for pain in joints and muscles. Myrtle can be used for depression and anxiety. I find that incredibly relevant on a personal level. We are told that our thorns and briars will be replaced by juniper and myrtle. God wants to give us healing for our physical and emotional wounds. 

I do believe in healing. Sometimes healing is immediate. But more often, we have to walk out our healing in fellowship with others. We were created for relationship, and sometimes that can be the most beautiful miracle of all.