Peace Like a (Roaring) River
So the other day my mom was reading her bible and read this verse out loud to me -
If only you had paid attention to my commands,
your peace would have been like a river,
your righteousness like the waves of the sea. – Isaiah 48:18
She read the verse and then commented – "but that makes no sense." We are all accustomed to the hymns that repeat the image of "peace like a river" but as my mom pointed out rivers are generally not peaceful. You see she is the sort of person whose vacations involve canoeing down the lower canyons of the Rio Grande and shooting the rapids. Rivers are wild unpredictable things – full of uncontrollable power – that are to be respected but not tamed. They are not exactly synonymous with our modern conceptions of peace.
All too often in our world today the term "peace" simply connotes serenity. The whole "peaceful easy feeling" concept conveys a laid back vacationy image. Peace is about not being troubled by anything, letting the world pass you by while you kick-back and relax. Perhaps a hammock, a good book, and a glass of wine are included in that image.
While I have no problem with the hammock/book/wine scenario (can you tell what I'm daydreaming about…), that whole conception of peace is actually a better description of apathy than biblical peace. Serenity and mindless bliss are not exactly the same as Shalom. Peace as seen in the bible often refers to a rightness of relationships – with God and with others. Peace implies the presence of justice, and relationships that are whole. Far from being about personal serenity, it conveys the active bestowing of blessings on others.
So I like the way The Message translated that verse -
"If you had listened all along to what I told you,
your life would have flowed full like a river,
blessings rolling in like waves from the sea."
Peace is active and ongoing. It is about the abundant life lived to the full in the way of Christ. Peace is like a river – a wild river overflowing its banks. It is about a life that is fully lived in service to others. So of course when one is listening to God's commands one will have peace – the very nature of following those commands brings about this full and abundant shalom.
So if we want peace like a river we have to be ready for white water rapids.
julieclawson(at)gmail(dot)com 
I like this image, Julie. When I think about the desert culture that this was written in, a full raging river would mean that there was plenty of water. It would mean that there would be food for the coming year. It would mean that the worries about where the next meal would come from could be shelved for a while. Sitting beside a raging river in the desert would provide a sense of peace, not because it was calm and relaxing, but because it relieves the stress of the coming year.
Wow and Yes to both of you–Julie and Chad!
Bless you Julie. Hope you get a shower in also!
absolutely. the river in the desert. shalom isn't zoning out – it's watering the desert, bringing god's love and caring for the plants and the rocks and the wild creatures within us.
and, much as i hate it, peace-shalom isn't about things being nice. it's about things being right. sometimes i'd prefer nice. but it's boring.
I love it. This is from Beth Moore's Breaking free= "God's word does not say we'll have peace like a pond. We might admit to thinking of peaceful people as boring & a breath from death. Few bodies of water are more exciting than rivers!When God used the analogy of a river, He described a peace that can be retained while life twists & turns & rolls over boulders. Let's resist picturing peaceful people as expresssionless monks. To have peace like a river is to have security & tranquillity of heart & mind while meeting many bumps & unexpected turns on life's journey through change. Peace is submission to a trustworthy Authority, not resignation from all activity. Peace comes from an ACTIVE, ONGOING, & OBEDIENT relationship with the PRINCE OF PEACE. He wants to feed us with the LIVING WATER of His Holy Spirit & a steady stream of His Word until we have peace like a river." Keep moving with God & let the Peace of Christ rule your hearts.