What We Long For

07.11.12

Isaiah 9.6-7 6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;

And the government will rest on His shoulders;

And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,

On the throne of David and over his kingdom,

To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness

From then on and forevermore.                                           

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this. NASB

A Son will be born who will be called a Father. The government will rest on His shoulders and there will be no end to the increase of His government – or of peace. Think about that in our day of ever increasing government. Think about that in our day of national indebtedness and poor decision-making at our leadership’s highest levels. I wonder how many in government today started out this day by thinking about the government resting on His shoulders and there being no end to the increase of His government or of peace…

Governing is to be about one thing: peace. There is to be no strife between the governing and the governed – there is to be peace. There is to be welfare as in making sure the governed are doing well and are faring well. But governing is to be done very carefully, and it is to be the perfect balance of allowing freedom and maintaining the peace. Peace comes when we have nothing left to wrangle over. Peace is the fruit of mutual love and respect. Peace is found in confidence and trust. When Jesus comes there will be no end of peace – there just won’t be anything to wrangle over.

Peace is found in the establishment of justice and righteousness. What we long for is to be treated right and cared for in a way that is right and builds our confidence and leads to even more peace. There is only One who can possibly accomplish this in a way that everyone is happy: that is the Lord Himself. Only the Lord will govern in omniscience – knowing what is needed and how to meet those needs. Only the Lord will reign in omnipotence – only He has the power to pull it off. And only the Lord will rule in omnipresence. Only He can be all things to all people all of the time.

We long for One to come and set things right and to restore all things. Don’t believe that? Just look at how people will vote this fall – we are looking for One to come and make all things right. And everyone believes their team has the wherewithal to pull it off… We’re deluded and foolish but that is the way people think.

Today, I set my eyes towards the day of the Lord when all things will be restored and the government will rest on His shoulders; when we will call Him, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Today, I will endure the wranglings of men and their jockeying for power and position; but I will keep my eyes toward the Day when there will be no end to His government or of peace…