I don’t need to tell you how peace has been tough to come by these days. Even before the COVID era, but especially throughout this time, it’s seemed as though every day, people find something new to be unnecessarily concerned about. It’s no wonder 40 million American adults suffer some kind of anxiety disorder (a number I’d be interested to see the increase of in these times!). I deal with anxiety a lot myself, as do a lot of my close family members and friends. That’s why I felt compelled to write this week about Isaiah 26:3: “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
I’ve been keeping that verse close to my heart this year, and it has helped remind me constantly of what is important. As Isaiah was prophesying here about the Assyrians’ and Egyptians’ comeuppance for antagonizing the Israelites, he knew that more important than his own concern was that God was in control over all the heavens and earth, and that He would provide salvation and security no matter what. When I am gripped by worry and anxiety of the future and of the world around me, this verse points me to the Lord, who provides peace instead. And I know in those moments, God can take my troubles and replace them with songs of praise. “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. So what exactly does this verse tell me?
a) Peace, truly harmonious peace, comes only from Christ – not a momentary ease, but as Christ says in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.” In all things, the Lord satisfies more than our immediate physical need, not “as the world gives”, but serenity brought only by a trust greater than earthly sources could guarantee.
b) Perfect – as is all things from Him, God’s peace is infallible, incomparable. Psalm 18:30 “His way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true.” When I’m troubled by the reflection of a broken world, to know God’s promise of peace is not like the world’s temporary peace, offers assurance beyond what my words could describe.
c) To focus on God – it seems often like my anxieties come from focusing on myself, and my own selfishness. This reminder to shift perspective beyond myself helps me analyze my priorities – how can God use this situation? What good would this worry do for in my work for God? How is God moving me to action through this right now? I thank Paul for his reminder to Colossae in Colossians 3:1: “Since then you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.”
d) Trust – to trust, not that I’ll be without worry, but that I can come to God and He will be there for me. It seems so many of my anxieties can be traced to a lack of trust. How useful it is to remind myself with this verse: trust that God’s got this! That we would have a friend, a confidant, a source of comfort in God, Who we could pour our hearts out to and know He is listening and He guides us through it: that is peace!
In these reasons and more this verse helps point me to God in times of anxiety and stress, to know I can take my worry to Him and He’s got it taken care of. I thank the Lord that He turns these many worries into songs of praise. I thank Him that he would give me opportunities to share with others where my peace comes from, that I could tell of a perfect, soul-filling tranquility from heaven to those who need to know. And I pray that you too could focus on God over all else, and when inner harmony would seem nowhere to be found, that in Christ you would find peace.