Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26:3 KJV
It's almost like a 'cause and effect' kind of thing. There is an expectation I must align with if I desire the defined end. This is a season of fear and uncertainty, but it is also a season of faith and assurance, depending on who is in charge of your heart. The end times are characterised by wars, rumours of wars, pestilence, famine and others, but it is also the times of the mighty outpouring of the Spirit of God upon all flesh. Again, it matters who is in charge of your heart, because the control centre defines the focus, the pursuits and the end.
So, here, I have a conclusion already defined by God. He offers perfect peace, something the world will say is impossible, but then, what does the world know? You cannot give what you don't have, so don't expect a world full of discomfort, sorrow and pain to offer you the kind of peace God refers to here. You only get this kind of peace in the Prince of Peace, not in the world of sin. The first thing then that I need to do is check my present location as well as my current direction. Am I where the perfect peace of God can reach me?
The word 'keep' has a peculiar strength to it. It shows that the one who speaks has both power and capacity to do whatever he has promised. It is not a temporary arrangement, where I am kept safe only for a short while, or only for a short time. With God, with his everlasting arms, what you get lines up with who He is. If he calls himself the everlasting God, it means that whatever he gives you lasts forever. He does not speak carelessly, or make empty promises. If he says it, it is because he can do it. If he says it, he will move earth and heaven to make sure what he promises comes to pass.
God's role is clear: he does the keeping. What of me? My role is also defined here, and it is the 'stayed' on God. This is also not a temporary arrangement, where I come in and go out as and when I please, but a permanent settlement of my heart on God. My mind is stayed on God because I see him as my Lord and Saviour. I do not consider any other option, because I have found God to be sufficient. I can't afford to jump from one 'power' to another, seeking options where there are none. I can't keep my options open, as the people of the world do, hoping that if one fails, another option is just within reach. With God, He has to be enough.
It is the harmony between God's keeping and my staying that leads to the conclusion: God's perfect peace. Both have to be present for the prize to be won. If there is any that will fail, there is no doubt which one will, as God is too faithful to fail. He is the consistent God; with the will and the power to do all that he speaks. He will not only keep; he will also supply the grace and strength for me to stay on him. I must draw on that grace and strength, if I will remain connected to the source of help. God can and will, if I also will stay. I cannot lay claim to blessings that my lifestyle choices can't attract. God's time of favour is here.
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