FOLLOW PEACE

FOLLOW PEACE

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). We’ve heard this verse many times but for years I didn’t really understand the “chastisement of our peace” part. Yesterday I experienced it in a very dramatic way that I won’t forget.

I had my plans for the day. I thought they were very good plans: I was going to go out to lunch, edit 4 chapters for my book, go see a movie and then go see a friend I hadn’t seen in a while. The only thing bad about my plan was that I didn’t actually ask my Lord Jesus about all aspects of the plan. So I just barged ahead.

Unfortunately, it was the last event in my plan that ended up being the bad one and it overrode the others. The movie was going to end sometime after 4:00 and I had to get back to my neighborhood to see my friend before 5:00. The time factor put a stress on me and ended up being the ruling factor in all the previous activities of the day.

All day long I was agitated and snippy. I couldn’t figure out why I was feeling so short-tempered. I was supposed to be having fun, but I just kept feeling prickly, like I was being poked by sharp things. My nerves were on edge and I was irritated at my best friend for no reason. (best friend takes the heat)

I got to the last scheduled activity, seeing my friend at her store, and it was totally futile. She had so many people around her we couldn’t even talk. I came out of the store and I was totally bummed out.

I hadn’t actually asked the Lord if I was supposed to try to see her and it became very obvious that I’d made a big mistake.

Finally this morning when Jane and I read our scriptures, my heart opened and I told Jane what happened and apologized for being such a grump yesterday.

I thought of that verse in Isaiah and realized that all day long MY PEACE WAS BEING CHASTISED because I hadn’t just asked the Lord if it was in His plan for me to go see my friend at the store. My peace just kept getting disrupted.

I looked up the word “chastise” in the dictionary. It means to “punish in order to correct, usually by beating.”

My chastisement felt more like being beaten with small stings, my nerves being pestered and attacked all day long. I didn’t have the peace I was supposed to have.

Romans 14:19 tells us, “Follow after the things which make for peace.” Hebrews 12:14 tells us, “Follow peace.” And Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).

So when I’m not following Jesus, I don’t have His peace and I’m going to get pricked. Actually I’m really thankful. Now I’ll know that when I feel that kind of emotional anxiety and get agitated, irritated and grouchy like I did, I’m probably not doing something right. It’s a big warning sign. I need to stop and ask what it is and change, so I can retrieve the peace of Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, “My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). With Jesus there’s peace. Without Him: anxiety, wrong decisions and that prickly grumpy feeling – YUK.

I’m glad He took the chastisement and in following Him I get the peace.

Love, Carolyn

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