Crayons For Jesus


Monday, January 12, 2009 Print E-mail
And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. Isaiah 36:17

In grammar, effect is a noun. Nouns denote people, places, and objects as tangible forms. The definition of effect is “an outward showing”. Result is listed as a synonym of effect. The definitions of these two words are key to fully understanding the meaning of this verse. These definitions provide clarity and help us grab onto the tangible magnitude of the meaning of this verse.

The Bible tells us that Christ is righteousness. When we invite the righteousness of Christ into our lives, he begins to mold and shape us. We become more righteous. To be righteous means to be without sin or guilt. This is exactly what Christ’s free will offering of himself grants us. It gives us the right and ability to become righteous. The result of us becoming like the righteousness of Christ is peace. We are no longer at war against God. We are at peace with God and because of that we can experience a peace that transcends all knowledge in our entire being.

When we are righteous we no longer need fear the condemnation that the enemies of God face. We are no longer his enemies but we are his sons because of Christ. Because of Christ’s love we need not fear. When we let go of the fear of rejection and put on the righteousness that Christ’s sacrifice entitles us to, we are able to experience quietness and we are therefore able to trust Christ forever.

To be able to sit in God’s presence is impossible without Christ’s grace. With Christ’s grace we are able to partake of such awesomeness. To know that there is no animosity but only love between ourselves and the Almighty is spectacular. There is nothing more beautiful than a silence that is full of God’s presence. There are no words that need to be spoken when we experience Christ’s righteousness. The proof of this comes from the beautiful promises of peace and quietness in this verse. 

We, ourselves, then outwardly show what Christ is inwardly doing.

Once we have experienced the peace that comes from reconciliation in Christ, we are equipped to truly trust him as our guide for the rest of our lives. Daily we have the opportunity to see the effect of Christ’s righteousness in our lives. We can experience a secure peace and have a renewed quietness each day that we enter into intimacy with God.

It is what enables us to continue onward. It is what softens the hardness of a fallen world. It is what draws us back to Him. It is what pushes us onward. It is something the world cannot properly describe nor properly provide for us and yet it is what we inherently need in order to truly live.

Only Christ can provide it and only Christ can show us how to receive and live in the victory of this peace that is just one of the many gifts which his precious sacrifice entitles us to. Because we are now sons of God, we have the right to live in victory and we have the right to taste the full depth of what this verse promises.

Holy God,
You and only you can deliver on a promise of such peace. Only you can show us the beauty in the silence. It is your presence that continues to draw us to you. There are no words to express how lovely you are. Your precious son gives us the right to call you Father. Father God, reveal to us the majesty of you in the quiet. Let us draw near daily so that we might continue onward. Continue the changes inwardly and teach us how to outwardly show the world who you are. Father, you are so mighty and yet you are so gentle. Let us experience and come to fully know all the facets of who you are so that we might be true examples of what wonderful things happen because of the reconciliation your son has offered us by his blood. In your holy name, in your holy presence, we pray this, amen.