Peace for the World

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Scripture: Isaiah 60:17-18 (NIV)

I will make peace your governor

and well-being your ruler.

18 No longer will violence be heard in your land,

nor ruin or destruction within your borders,

but you will call your walls Salvation

and your gates Praise.

 

Devotion:

            In this scripture, we find a promise made by God through the prophet Isaiah to Israel. Isaiah is predicting a future for Israel that is bright and welcoming. Isaiah says that peace (Hebrew: Shalom) will be the absolute and final authority in a restored Israel. We know from history that this prophecy has never been completely fulfilled to this day. Israel has seldom known more than a few years of peace ever since the reigns of David and Solomon. To this day Israel is still waiting for true peace to reign within its borders.

            Jesus came to bring a different kind of peace to Israel. His peace was a peace between God and man which had not existed since before the fall of Adam and Eve in chapter three in Genesis. True well-being is the longing of humankind. Even now we see that all is not right in the world. We need Jesus’ return to establish His kingdom to make things right. Until then we are to be working for the peace and well-being of the place where we live.

            We need to keep the hope of Isaiah 60:17-18 alive in our hearts. It’s easy to get discouraged or depressed if all we do is watch the news every day. We need the scriptures encouragement to live in this broken and hurting world. The streets of our cities are filled with violence and justice seems to have taken a permanent vacation. When Jesus returns, he will make all these things right.

            Jesus has already brought salvation to the world at his first coming. His return will be marked by a new birth of freedom and peace in the world. Peace between God and man has been made at the cross and the empty tomb. Peace between people will be made fully only when Jesus returns. Until then, however, we are to be working to make peace wherever we can between the peoples of the world. Let us pray for Christ’s return.

Prayer:

            Lord, God Almighty, we praise your holy name today. We thank you for the peace you made between us at the cross. We pray for the spreading of peace among people and nations. We read in your word that you desire all people to live together lifting their voices to you is hymns of praise. Help us all to bend our knees in obedience to your word and follow our Master, Jesus, in bringing true peace to our world. Amen.

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