Christian Counseling Service -- Devotions

The peace of the Lord

Monday, December 2, 2002

Isaiah 2:1-5
1) The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw
concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
2) And it shall come to pass in the last days,
that the mountain of the Lord's house
shall be established in the top of the mountains,
and shall be exalted above the hills;
and all nations shall flow unto it.
3) And many people shall go and say,
Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
and he will teach us of his ways,
and we will walk in his paths:
for out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4) And he shall judge among the nations,
and shall rebuke many people:
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks:
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.
5) O house of Jacob,
come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.

How beautiful these words are; the more I read them, the more they flow over my tongue, these words of peace and prosperity streaming out of the mouth of God.

My father was a farmer, not a hunter. He sowed and reaped crops, raised and butchered livestock ... rarely did he venture into the wild. Long ago his ancestors beat their swords into plowshares.

No doubt he was often rebuked by God, as am I. How easy it is to fall back into battle dress, self-righteous, resplendent, sword shining razor-sharp in the sunrise before the war, that never-ending war between I ... and thou.

Hunters are not gentle, but then neither are farmers, really. I think it's only through the rebuking that we become gentle. "Forgive as your heavenly father forgives you." "Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near."

My brother John shared some of his experiences with Dad today at the funeral. "Whenever someone he hired did shoddy work, Dad said, 'Just pay them what they want and get on with it.'" More than once he was hurt financially when someone broke a land contract. More than once he forgave them.

And over the years, Dad chose more and more to "study war no more."* The results of this kind of living were apparent upon Dad's death. I think we were all a little stunned at the outpouring of a single sentiment, that Dad was kind and gentle. We heard that over and over and over.

Margaret and I can't remember who said it, but one of the best things we heard about dad while he was still here, laboring for nearly every breath, was that "the air here isn't rich enough ... he's getting acclimated to heaven." I want to breathe that sweet air, too, and walk in the light of the Lord. Whatever it takes.

Let the rebukes come, Father; let me find the path up the mountain of Zion, let me breathe the air up there.

*I ain't gonna study war no more...
I'm gonna lay down my sword and shield,
Down by the riverside, down by the riverside...
And study war no more."

Devotions Archive

The peace of the Lord

Monday, December 2, 2002