You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
Isaiah 26: 3
Peace. It is the one thing we all crave. Lately, it seems we cannot get away from uncertainty. The news is filled with stories about the never-ending pandemic, devastating fires, tsunami’s, political and social unrest, inflation…name it and you will find it. Many are anxious and filled with endless worry, depression and a sense of hopelessness and helplessness. How can we find peace in these chaotic times?
God made an amazing promise through Isaiah, the Prophet: He said, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you (Isaiah 26:3).” God promises perfect peace to those whose minds are stayed on him, not in the news headlines, or stories told by a friend of a friend, or the latest 411 by an internet doctor. He will keep those who trust in him, not just in peace, but in “perfect peace.” In the original Hebrew text, the term “perfect peace” is shalom shalom. This repetition communicates the intensity of the kind of peace God gives. It is an enduring peace. It is a double dose of peace, separate and apart from anything else that may be going on in the world. It is the kind of peace that is based on God’s Person and character, and not in circumstances.
Some have sought this peace by indulging in one habit or another, by rioting and by legislating, but such peace is fleeting and can even lead to destruction. God’s perfect peace, (shalom, shalom) cannot be grasped or grabbed by human effort. It is bestowed when we surrender to God’s Sovereignty in every human situation. It is experienced when Jesus is truly LORD of our lives. It is conferred upon us when we walk in total trust and righteousness. Only then does God keep us and hide us in his peace. To have this kind of peace, we must be constantly in his Word so that our minds are stayed upon him, and our spirits are saturated ONLY with his truth. This peace is ours, even today, if we will have him.
Loving Father: May the thoughts of my heart and the meditation of my mind be centered on you moment by moment and day by day, so that the righteousness and peace of Christ will accompany me through this troubled life as I walk in spirit and truth… in the power of the Holy Spirit, AMEN.