Isaiah 57:15-21…No More Sea
- theagapeproject360
- May 18
- 5 min read
15
For this is what the high and exalted One says—
he who lives forever, whose name is holy:
“I live in a high and holy place,
but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.
16
I will not accuse them forever,
nor will I always be angry,
for then they would faint away because of me—
the very people I have created.
17
I was enraged by their sinful greed;
I punished them, and hid my face in anger,
yet they kept on in their willful ways.
18
I have seen their ways, but I will heal them;
I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel’s mourners,
19
creating praise on their lips.
Peace, peace, to those far and near,”
says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”
20
But the wicked are like the tossing sea,
which cannot rest,
whose waves cast up mire and mud.
21
“There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
In these verses, God reveals the way to peace and restoration while exposing three stumbling blocks we encounter in our lives. Let us begin….
15 For this is what the high and exalted One says—
he who lives forever, whose name is holy:
“I live in a high and holy place,
but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.
In verse 15, we see one of the greatest stumbling blocks we face: forgetting who God truly is. That is why throughout Scripture, God continually reveals Himself through His names and titles—not because He needs to prove Himself, but because we so easily forget. He is the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy. Yet in the middle of stress, suffering, uncertainty, and difficult decisions, we begin to lose sight of His greatness.
In the same verse, we also see His mercy. It says He “revives the spirit of the lowly,” speaking of those who are humble before Him.
. Here we encounter a second stumbling block: pride. Too often, we stop humbling ourselves before God. When something life-changing occurs in our lives, we tend to ask Him, “Why, God?” in anger and distance ourselves. We feel pain because we love other things more than God. Or we fear other things more than God. In this chapter itself, God’s people had turned away from Him and chased after idols. In the same way, we can slowly drift away without even realizing it and start worshipping other things or people.
We begin to rely on ourselves instead of God. We become consumed by distractions, worries, work, social media, and the constant noise of life. And little by little, we stop praying, stop reflecting, and stop depending on Him.
As a result, we lose sight of who He truly is.
Yet God, in His mercy, continually reminds us of His presence and faithfulness. Just look around you. Look at the prayers He answered, the doors He opened, and the situations He carried you through. Who else could have done that except God Himself?
16 I will not accuse them forever,
nor will I always be angry,
for then they would faint away because of me—
the very people I have created.
In verse 16, we encounter the third stumbling block: we forget how great God’s love and mercy truly is. Even after His people rebelled against Him, God still showed compassion. He says He will not contend forever, nor remain angry forever. Though God disciplines His people like a loving Father disciplines His children, His correction comes from love, not rejection. His desire is always to restore, heal, and bring His people back to Himself.
Verse 18 reveals the heart of God:
“I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners.”
Think about that for a moment. God sees every sinful way, every failure, every moment we drift away—yet He still says, “I will heal him.” What incredible mercy and grace. God does not abandon the broken and lost; He restores them.
creating praise on their lips.
Peace, peace, to those far and near,”
says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”
Then in verse 19, God offers peace both to those who are near and to those who are far off. Through His mercy, peace is available to all through Jesus Christ.Whether you have walked with God for years or feel far from Him today, the invitation to reconciliation still remains open
.
But the wicked are like the tossing sea,
which cannot rest,
whose waves cast up mire and mud.
But in verse 20, we see the condition of those who reject God’s holy path. The wicked are described like the restless sea that cannot be still. Just as the sea is constantly stirring and unsettled, so are they if they are apart from God. The verse also says the waves “cast up mire and mud.” Mire and mud represent impurity, corruption, and the mess that comes from a life separated from God. In the same way that a stormy sea stirs up dirt from the depths, a restless heart apart from God eventually reveals what is inside—fear, anger, bitterness, sin, confusion, and spiritual emptiness.
No matter how calm things may appear outwardly, the heart separated from God will always remain restless until it finds peace in Him.
.
Verse 21 says “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
Without Him, there is no true peace—only inner turmoil, confusion, emptiness, and unrest.
See, with God there is peace, stability, and rest. But apart from Him, there is only noise, chaos, and restlessness within the heart.
However, one day, all things will be made new. There will be a new heaven and a new earth where sin, sorrow, and chaos will no longer exist. As it says in Book of Revelation 21:1:
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.”
Even today, the sea remains one of the darkest and most mysterious places on earth. We still do not fully know what lies in its depths. It is deep, restless, and hidden in darkness. Throughout Scripture, the sea often represents chaos, fear, unrest, and separation.
But one day, in the new heaven and the new earth, there will be no more sea.
No more darkness.
No more chaos.
No more fear.
No more unrest.
Everything will be fully restored in the presence of God.
In His presence, there will only be eternal peace, perfect holiness, and complete restoration.
God is still calling the humble.
He is still offering peace to those who are far off and to those who are near.
Do not let the noise of this world harden your heart to His voice.
Because true peace will never be found apart from Him.
Thank you for reading, and feel free to share this with someone who may need to hear it today. May God bless you as you continue walking with Him :)
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