“The Lord’s justice will dwell in the desert, his righteousness live in the fertile field. The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.” – Isaiah 32:16-18
Peace. Quietness. Confidence. Wow – the life Isaiah describes is the life we all want, isn’t it? And it’s easy to imagine that if we’re going to the right church, and our kids are in the right schools, and if we have enough money tucked away for the future, that the peace we crave is within reach.
But it’s not like that for everyone. Recently I met a little fourth-grade girl who goes to a failing inner-city school. Her mother is a drug addict and her father is in prison. She lives in the projects, and as tough as it is, her home will be razed to the ground in the next 24 months to make room for gentrification. Where is her peaceful dwelling place? Where is her secure home?
Isaiah tells us that the quietness and peace will come not when we strive harder, but when we practice righteousness, and when His Spirit is poured out. Peace will come when that little girl’s parents are introduced to the hope of Jesus Christ, so they can leave behind the destructive choices that jeopardize their daughter’s future. Peace will come when a Christian worldview is applied to urban planning and development. Peace will come when we choose restoration over retribution in our justice system.
Learn how you can help bring God’s genuine peace to our broken world: www.prisonfellowship.org.