Isaiah 57:18-21
I have seen his ways, but I will heal him;
I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners,
creating the fruit of the lips.
Peace, peace, to the far and to the near,” says the Lord,
“and I will heal him.
But the wicked are like the tossing sea;
for it cannot be quiet,
and its waters toss up mire and dirt.
There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked."
In Isaiah 57 the prophet talks about the person who is "contrite" in spirit vs. the man who is wicked and proud. In the above few verses we see the jest of what Isaiah is proclaiming to the nation of Israel. To those who are contrite in spirit, humble and seek God, He will provide an everlasting peace. To those who are proud and wicked and refuse to humble themselves before God, will be tossed by the winds and waves of this world and have no peace. If you have ever experienced a tossing boat in an uncontrollable sea, you will, in essence, know the truth of this passage. The sea can become quite dangerous, fast. A calm day can turn into a murderous torrent in the slightest moment. What someone thinks is a passive and beautiful day can turn to tragedy in a moment. However, "Peace, Peace," the Lord cries to those who humble their spirit. Those who cry out to God and recognize His mercy, grace and power, will be given the peace, only God can offer. Notice what Paul will eventually write to the Philippian believers. Perhaps he was reading this passage in Isaiah before he penned these words:
Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
When we come to the Lord in humility and rejoice in Him, no matter the issue, we have great peace. When we reject Him we have turmoil and the tossing of the sea around us. Like the disciples in the boat, they sea was tossing and churning. When Christ was awakened He instantly calmed the sea. The disciples had to quit rowing and had to humble themselves. These fishermen, with years of experience on the water, had to turn to the carpenter's son, the Son of Man, to find peace in the storm. The truth is, only the Lord can command the waves of the sea. He made them, He can command them.
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