“Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth,
and no one will even think about the old ones anymore.
Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation!
And look! I will create Jerusalem as a place of happiness.
Her people will be a source of joy.
I will rejoice over Jerusalem
and delight in my people.
And the sound of weeping and crying
will be heard in it no more.“No longer will babies die when only a few days old.
No longer will adults die before they have lived a full life.
No longer will people be considered old at one hundred!
Only the cursed will die that young!
In those days people will live in the houses they build
and eat the fruit of their own vineyards.
Unlike the past, invaders will not take their houses
and confiscate their vineyards.
For my people will live as long as trees,
and my chosen ones will have time to enjoy their hard-won gains.
They will not work in vain,
and their children will not be doomed to misfortune.
For they are people blessed by the LORD,
and their children, too, will be blessed.
I will answer them before they even call to me.
While they are still talking about their needs,
I will go ahead and answer their prayers!
The wolf and the lamb will feed together.
The lion will eat hay like a cow.
But the snakes will eat dust.
In those days no one will be hurt or destroyed on my holy mountain.
I, the LORD, have spoken!” (Isaiah 65:17–25 NLT)
I watched our player dribble the ball down the field. He was inundated with the other team’s defenders, and yet I could tell he was going to attempt the shot. Though he had a teammate open in front of the goal, in a surge of pride, the player took the shot. As expected, it was deflected, and we lost. A student’s pride and attempt to be the hero ignored the chance to pass and win the game.
Listen to what God says at the beginning of this chapter:
“I’m here, ready to be found
by those who haven’t bothered to look.
I kept saying ‘I’m here, I’m right here’
to a nation that ignored me.
I reached out day after day
to a people who turned their backs on me [. . .]” (Isaiah 65:1 MSG)
Humanity has always struggled with pride and ignored the beauty of what God offers. Like that student on the soccer field, pride blinds us from seeing and unifying with God. Insisting on doing it our own way apart from God will only lead to destruction. Yet, God will always be open and ready for us.
Thankfully, the story doesn’t need to end with destruction. God says all the pain and chaos will be forgotten. God is making something new, and we know that ‘something new’ is a restored life with God. There is an assurance and confidence for those who draw near to God. Unison with God doesn’t take you out of the struggles but empowers you to work through them. In fact, David writes in Psalm 30, “Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning” (v. 5 NLT)!
Unity with God means our work on this earth is not in vain. Our work will bring satisfaction because it is no longer the result of our ‘lone ranger’ mindset but the very work of God in us. It is the work of peace. I am reminded of Jesus’s words, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9 NIV). God’s work is wholeness, or peace, and as children of God, we take on the mantle and work of our Father. The work of peace is never in vain.
Eventually that student learned a valuable lesson that made him a stronger player. He was humbled by his teammates. The work of peace begins with humility. The wolf and lamb are diametrically opposed, and yet we see in Isaiah’s vision the two animals grazing together. Humility gives space for others to be heard and respected. It is elevating the needs of others over our own and prioritizing listening over speaking. In a world so divided and fractured, there is an urgency for peace, a peace that requires humility and servanthood. Church, we know that peace. In fact, we know the Prince of Peace, and the route to overcome is not accomplished by power and legislation but by humility and love.
This Lenten season, may we humbly repent of our lone ranger tactics and trying to manipulate the Kingdom of God for power and our own needs. May we be open to the Holy Spirit as we are led in humility to cultivate peace, and may we never give up because the work of peace is never in vain. God says, “Look ahead with joy. Anticipate what I am creating” (Isaiah 65:18 MSG)! As we grow in relationship with God and that unity is strengthened, that joy will come to fruition when Christ returns, and that is a joy we can’t comprehend!
Philip Long is a pastor at Hope Point Church in Tacoma, Washington.
