Walking in JOY and PEACE

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AUGUST 11, 2023


Isaiah 55:12


“For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” 


Go Out in Joy ...

Be Led Forth in Peace

 

 

Chapter 55 of Isaiah is often referred to with the title “The Compassion of the Lord.” At this point in the book of Isaiah, God’s people have been completely disobedient, but God the Father is a God of grace and compassion, so he invites them into his lovingkindness. He is restoring them so they may glorify him once again and he is blessing his people.

Verse 12 specifically commands the people to go out in joy and be led forth in peace. Why does God ask this and how do we, as followers, do this?


There are two reasons we are called to go out in joy in this passage: For our own sake and the world’s. When we choose to rejoice in our circumstances, I have found that not only do our circumstances seem to change, but life is easier to tackle. When we  choose a positive and joyous perspective rooted in a trust for God and his promises our view of life is very hopeful.

Going out in joy benefits others. The world should be able to recognize a Christ follower by how they love and by the joy they have. Do not misunderstand this, I am not saying that Christians should always act happy and pretend everything is okay, being joyful is different than being happy. Joy is trusting in what God is doing and recognizing that God has a plan. Being joyful means not letting our circumstances crush us. To choose joy is to choose hope.

There is peace in truly knowing God. If we were to sit down and read the Bible cover to cover, we would be filled with peace and calmness in our hearts. The messages we would read about are that God created you (Genesis 1:27), God forgives you (Ephesians 4:32), God saved you (Ephesians 2:8), God promises to protect you (Isaiah 41:10), God has a plan for you (Jeremiah 29:11), God's Son is coming back one day (John 14:3) and God loves you so deeply. (1 John 4:9-10). There is great peace, joy and comfort in these and many other truths and promises that God makes. 

When we experience the peace of God, we stop needing answers for everything, we stop having to worry about everything going on in the world and we can simply trust in him and what is to come. When we seek his heart, we find peace, an inexplicable peace that will guide us through this life and all the twist and turns, ups and downs, we face. Thanks be to God!!

 

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