Peace to those on whom his favor rests.

I'm utterly exhausted from this leg of the race marathon. This morning I heard the story of Jesus's birth with an emphasis on the declaration of the angels and the peace of the Good News in Luke 2:14: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

The preacher, Dan Rogers, really hammered home the essence of the Good News of the Gospel - the peace between us and God. God's favor rests on me because when he looks at me he sees the perfect record of Jesus instead of mine which surely entails countless pages of repeat offenses. Dan said there are two kind of people - those who haven't experienced the peace given, by the Holy Spirit, between them and God and those who have experienced it, but live their lives as if they're 'over it.' How do I live my life as if I'm over the Good News of what Jesus did for me? I worry about work. I stress about my physical space. I am anxious about conflict in my relationships. I am sad about what I don't have. I am angry about how God is giving and taking. I am exhausted from trying to 'do right.'

I am completely caught up in a funnel cloud of the world. The lie that this is all there is, so I better make it fun - interesting - dynamic - entertaining - delicious - attractive - effective. I'm exhausted because I'm running on the wrong track. There's a huge difference between running uphill on concrete and on a flat, padded running track. My knees are giving out from my body's inability to absorb the shock from my feet connecting with concrete - I wasn't made for this - I was made for the easy yoke, the light burden.

Have you ever been in a broken relationship with someone and later had it completely restored? It makes your heart just sing, doesn't it? I'm a passionate person [read: emotional/fiery/sensitive/enthusiastic...] and I have experienced far too many wounded relationships. I'm sad to say that many were never restored. Don't get me wrong, some were kind of mended within a few hours or days, others were revisited many years later when the pain had faded and the reconciliation lost its sweetness... and a couple of times in my life I have had a thoroughly broken mess of a relationship be completely reconciled and totally restored. One of these was in the past two years and let me tell you - it leaves me completely speechless and in awe of the power of God. It literally shuts my mouth because I had nothing to do with it - it was entirely the work of the Holy Spirit.

I remember these relationships and I think about how I relate to God as if he, too, is only partially reconciling with me. I constantly accuse him of things that, honestly, I wouldn't dare accuse a friend or family member for fear of being completely removed from relationship with them. But God is different... with God I approach him with arrogant boldness and then when I come to my senses and remorse sets in I assume he will still distance himself from me at parties or he won't call me first with news or if he does call me it is just so I feel 'okay' about us - he doesn't really love me to the same degree as he did before my outburst and mistreatment of him. I interact with God as if he were entirely human and it is an enormous barrier to peace.

The Good News of the Gospel, as I was reminded today, is that I in the midst of my constant disrespect and hurtful posture toward God, always being suspicious of his motives - accusing him at every turn of not loving me perfectly or enough, He humbly came into the world as a baby nestled in an animal stall with his earthly parents mere peasants in a small town nowhere near center stage. He came here and died and now I am given peace with God and a fully restored relationship with him on this side of Heaven. He looks at me and he sees me and he knows me - and he forgives me and remembers my sins no more. Not only does he forgive me, but he is actively working in my heart every hour of the day to smooth out the rough edges and set my feet on the padded, protected track. This is absolutely incredible to me. Why in the world would he do that for me? Because he loves me. He loves because he loves me. He just does and because he loves me, I can have peace -- I can just have it, take it. He will not turn his back - get sick of me - be worn down - scared - tired of my tears, my fears... he will not take his love away from me.

My soul exhales with this reminder and I rejoice with understanding that this is GOOD NEWS! Peace with God and real rest in the depth of your being are yours for the taking and when they come rushing in, you will be reassured that you are, indeed, cherished and loved - remembered and adored by a perfect Father.