In Need Of... ~~~ Peace Like A River ~~~

We all need a little peace of mind... But peace like a river? How do you figure?

This is my attempt to understand the metaphor "peace like a river".

Isaiah 48:17-18 - Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go. Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

So... That's where the simile comes from. Now what does it mean?

As usual, i'm going to take a quote from the dictionary ;o)

RIVER: A large natural stream of water emptying into an ocean, lake, or other body of water and usually fed along its course by converging tributaries.

So... if river=peace, then we can say... Peace is fed by something (ex. a tributary) and empties into something (ex. a lake).

I'm going to say that God is the tributary... He provides us with the peace, He's the stream or spring that feeds the river. Our job is to be the lake, and collect the stream... Be a holding tank for the peace that we receive.

You'll also notice that it says "natural" in that definition. Peace is not a man-made phenomenon. Yes... people can build canals and dams and reroute water... People are also fallible. I've heard of dams breaking and causing catastrophes and canals that redirect so much water that parts of land become arid and incapable of growing anything.
God is the only One who is capable of providing peace.
It's also natural in that people are supposed to be peaceful. It's the way we were made. Looking back to Adam and Eve, they were in a peaceful garden. That's the peaceful existence we were meant to live. That's natural.

I have seen people build dams... Blocking out their source of peace; knowingly or not. Dams made of fear, doubt, unhappiness, cynicism. All of these things can prevent our lives from being peaceful. I challenge you to tear down some of those dams and watch the river flow. :o)

God does NOT want you to live in uncertainty and unrest. He wants you to be in your natural state, the way He created you. As Jesus said,
John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

The world cannot provide you with that peace and Satan is doing his best to steal your peace away... Be on your guard that no dams are being built on your river of peace!