"In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; God will appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks. Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in. You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:1-3
When is this day to come for us who believe in Jesus Christ? Is it on the day of His return or is it for today? Mayhem, chaos, trials, wars, and tribulation surround us! The evidence of destruction in the lives of mankind is displayed on the news every day and the threat of attack on the soil of our land is reported to be at our door step. But the prophet Isaiah speaks a word from the Lord for those of us who believe! “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in You.”
This word is not a word given to us for the day of Christ’s return because on that day we will be transported into perfect peace for eternity! There will be no need for us to be kept in perfect peace during times of trial and tribulation for there will be no more trials or tribulation! So the word Isaiah is speaking is a word for us today! It is a present word of promise that the God of our salvation will keep us in His perfect peace when our minds are stayed on Him! But with this promise there is a condition, a condition of faith to keep our minds stayed on Jesus no matter what we see or hear!
What a challenge this is for us because in our humanness it is easy to be deceived into believing the worst and filled with emotions of fear, worry, and anxiety! But in order to experience the perfect peace that is promised one has to counter the deception with the truth of God’s Word! This is why Paul said, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)
It is only the Word of God, spoken or written, that has the power to overcome our carnal mind! Self-will can’t do it! Good works can’t do it! Nothing can do it except the Word of God! “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) When the Word of God is spoken the foundations of the earth tremble! The foundations of the soul trembles! The foundations of beliefs tremble! Meditating on and speaking the Word of God is the pathway to a mindset of peace!
When our minds are stayed on Him, He keeps us in perfect peace! This peace transcends doubt, worry, fear, and anxiety! It demolishes strongholds of false teaching and lies! This peace gives us an assurance of our salvation and right standing with God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross! It gives us an assurance of the grace that has been given to us through faith! It gives us the assurance of all things working together for our good and His glory! It gives us the assurance of our inheritance of blessings both here on the earth and in heaven!
This peace gives us the assurance that by His stripes we were healed! It gives us the assurance that He shall supply all our need according to his riches in glory! It gives us an assurance that as He is in heaven so are we on the earth! There is nothing like this peace that passes all understanding! In this peace is where our hope is found! In this peace is where our faith is strong! In this peace is where our vision expands to see the pathway to our purpose! It is the peace that Jesus walked in when He was spit on and beaten on His way to the Cross! It kept Him securely fastened to His purpose even when He cried out and said, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46b)
He was and is and will forever be our Prince of peace who securely fastens us to our purpose when we choose to stay our minds on Him and the finished work of the Cross! We never have to cry out and ask, “My God, my God why have You forsaken me?” He promises to never leave us or forsake us! He is our ever present help in our times of trouble! He is our peace and our hope! In Him we are kept in perfect peace because our lives have been hidden in Him! We no longer have to strive in our own strength to overcome for He has overcome the world!
All we have to do is stay our minds on Him and what He has already done for us! When troubles come we look to Him and speak His Word and the trouble has to leave! When wars come we look to Him and speak His Word and the wars have to cease! When sickness comes we look to Him and speak His Word and the sickness has to leave! “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Behold, I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.” (Numbers 23:19-20)
We are blessed with the blessing of Abraham and the peace of Jesus securely fastens us to it through faith in the finished work of the Cross! The blessings of God for those who believe cannot be reversed! We have to believe it, receive it, speak it, and walk in it, if we are going to take hold of it! We have to align our minds with the truth of God’s Word and meditate on it day and night if we are going to behold the glory of it! We have to stay our minds on Him and when we do He keeps us in His perfect peace from this day forward and forevermore! Amen
