The Peace of God’s Reign
Scripture — Isaiah 52:7 (NRSV)
How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news,
who announces salvation,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
Focus
When God reigns, God’s peace fills the earth. This is indeed good news!
Devotion
The middle section of Isaiah 52 celebrates the coming of God’s salvation to the whole world. Verse 7, using the idiom of “beautiful feet,” rejoices in the “good news” of peace and salvation.
What explains this extraordinary turn of events? How have things been made right in Israel and, indeed, throughout the world? These questions are answered by the core of the good news announced to Israel: “Your God reigns” (52:7). It isn’t just that God is mending the broken world and restoring broken people. Rather, this act of global healing comes as a result of God’s royal presence and power. When God reigns, and only when God reigns, all things are made right.
Remember that the “peace” associated with God’s reign includes but is much more than merely the absence of conflict. Nor is it merely or mainly a feeling of inner well-being. Rather, the peace that comes when God reigns—shalom in Hebrew—includes making all relationships right, those in the private sphere and those in public. God’s peace includes God’s justice, as we’re reminded in Isaiah 9:7, which foretells the birth of the child who will be called Prince of Peace: “Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.”
Cornelius Plantinga in Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin offers a marvelous definition of biblical peace:
The webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight is what the Hebrew prophets call shalom. We call it peace, but it means far more than mere peace of mind or a cease-fire between enemies. In the Bible, shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight — a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed, a state of affairs that inspires joyful wonder as its Creator and Savior opens doors and welcomes the creatures in whom he delights. Shalom, in other words, is the way things ought to be (p. 10).
Jesus reiterated the good news of God’s reign in Isaiah 52 but with a stunning twist. Jesus’s message, in a nutshell, was this: “The time has come… The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15). In Jesus, God has come to reign on the earth. Though the fullness of the kingdom is still to come, when we put our faith in Jesus, we begin even now to experience the peace, justice, and power of God’s reign. The good news we embrace as Christians is not only that we get to “go to Heaven” after we die, but also that we can begin to experience Heaven now. When we do, not only do we experience God’s peace, but we also become peacemakers for the kingdom of God (Matt 5:9).
Reflect
How have you experienced God’s reign in your life?
Where do you resist living under God’s authority?
In what ways do you live under God’s reign in the context of your work?
In what ways do you need to experience God’s power today?
Act
As you go through this day, consider what it means to live under God’s reign in all that you do.
Pray
Gracious God, how wonderful indeed is the good news of your reign. That which was promised in Isaiah has begun in Jesus. You have come to earth to mend this broken world. You have come to bring peace saturated by justice and mercy. All praise be to you, Mighty King and Gracious Savior, for the salvation you bring.
O Lord, may I live this day under your reign, intentionally and joyfully. May I attend to the guidance of your Spirit. May I be used to extend your kingdom wherever I am. Fill me afresh with your power, so that I might share the reality of your kingdom in word and deed.
All praise be to you, mighty King, for you reign, indeed! Amen.
Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: The Serving Son of Man.
Mark D. Roberts
Senior Strategist
Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a Senior Strategist for Fuller’s Max De Pree Center for Leadership, where he focuses on the spiritual development and thriving of leaders. He is the principal writer of the daily devotional, Life for Leaders,...