My high school hosted a “world peace” club. The United Nations, an organization formed in 1945, comprised of the world’s most powerful governments, exists with the stated aim of resolving conflicts before they reach the point of war. Yet, wars have continued. Even the most important United Nations member countries have engaged in armed combat. Can the world ever know peace?
Sometimes Christians look at the world and the people in the world who go their own way and we find ourselves asking, “Why do the wicked prosper?” The prophet Jeremiah suffered greatly for proclaiming the truth in an age of terrible evil. He asked this very question in Jeremiah 12:1, adding, “Why do all who are treacherous thrive?” The Bible acknowledges, implicitly and explicitly, that evil people sometimes lead prosperous, “comfortable” lives.
The Bible also teaches very plainly that wickedness leads to misery. In Isaiah 57:15–19, God offers hope for the penitent. Even though Israel had committed widespread idolatry, God offers to heal, lead, restore, and comfort the one who would bow in humble contrition. He says His healing will produce this message, “Peace, peace, to the far and to the near” (v. 19). Such words encourage us and remind us of God’s goodness, and compassionate mercies. The chapter closes with a different tone, a jarring one after words of such sweet mercy appear: “But the wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up mire and dirt. ‘There is no peace,’ says my God, for the wicked” (vv. 20–21).
The world will not know peace until the individuals in the world know peace. The individuals in the world will not know peace until they know the God of peace, and in humble contrition, turn from their lives of sin. The gangster who sells drugs and carries wads of cash in his pocket is not happier than the Christian who struggles to make ends meet. The non-Christian who cuts corners or bends the law does not sleep better than the Christian who goes by the book even when it means lower profits or longer nights. The arrogant person who bulldozes over opponents does not enjoy the inner serenity of the meek Christian who exercises self-control when dealing with others.
The wicked may know temporary prosperity, but they do not now and will not ever know peace unless they turn to the Lord! Take courage, dear reader. Peace is within reach if we will only trust in Him who does not forsake those who seek Him (cf. Psalm 9:10).
Clay Leonard
