Redeeming Peace and Healing

Isaiah 57:14-21 

14 And one shall say,
"Heap it up! Heap it up!
Prepare the way,
Take the stumbling block out of the way of My people."

15 For thus says the High and Lofty One
Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
"I dwell in the high and holy place,
With him who has a contrite and humble spirit,
To revive the spirit of the humble,
And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

16 For I will not contend forever,
Nor will I always be angry;
For the spirit would fail before Me,
And the souls which I have made.

17 For the iniquity of his covetousness
I was angry and struck him;
I hid and was angry,
And he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.

18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him;
I will also lead him,
And restore comforts to him
And to his mourners.

19 "I create the fruit of the lips:
Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,"
Says the LORD,
"And I will heal him."

20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea,
When it cannot rest,
Whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

21 "There is no peace,"
Says my God, "for the wicked."

There is healing for the backslider who turns away from God but whose heart is set on Him (Psalm 84:5).  This is based on God’s character of grace and mercy and power and dominion.  Here He calls to remove the stumbling blocks that keep His people away that He may restore that remnant.  He is described as High and Lofty, the exalted Lord of all whose very name itself is holy, set apart as none other and perfectly righteous in all aspects.  He inhabits eternity itself, living outside of and above time and space in the unseen realm we call heaven.  The amazing thing is that He calls we His people to live with Him in that place, the ones who have a broken and humble spirit and not the proud who reject Him and live unholy lives in sinful rebellion.  He promises life to the dead hearts of the broken and humble (Isaiah 66:2, 61:1, Matthew 5:3-4) who know their need for Him, a picture of regeneration to bring the spiritually dead to life through faith (Ephesians 2:5-6, Romans 5:6, 8).  He promised not to contend with us forever, but to overflow forgiveness in grace (Micah 7:18-19) to the work of His hands.  God’s wrath on His people’s continuing sin caused them to suffer for their disobedience as they slid further away from Him, yet He turned them back to Himself to heal their spirits and lead them to comfort once more in His lovingkindness of grace according to His character and promises of His word.  He offers peace with Himself ultimately in Christ alone (Romans 5:1, 2 John 1:3), calling those seemingly close to Him as well as ones we deem to be ever so far away, knowing that God sees the hearts and chooses according to His will and not the outward appearance (1 Samuel 16:7).  This is not a universal salvation for all we sinners, for He is set against those whose wickedness continually stares up filth like the constant battering of ocean waves in a storm (John 3:19-20).  There is no peace with God or in themselves for these wicked men and women who reject His word and character by their constant and willing opposition to all that is holy and righteous and true (Isaiah 59:7-8).  They continue to believe the lie which Eve did that they could be God (Genesis 3:4-5), a lie seen even more clearly in cults such as the Mormons who dare consider this lie of Satan to be true.  There is peace, however, to those He calls who yearn for righteousness and hear the call as He opens the blind eyes of the heart and the deaf ears to hear and trust in receiving Christ (John 1:12) as their hope and life.  God offer peace and healing of the spiritual nature by his stripes received in our place and for our atonement to eternal redemption.  This should humble us further to follow as He leads in holiness (Isaiah 35:8) in His way for His glory.  May it be so.