“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” –Isaiah 26:3, ESV
To understand Isaiah 26:3 we have to read Isaiah 25:1-Isaiah 26:6 and in those verses what you will discover is that the people are celebrating that God is in charge. He is the ruler. He has overcome enemies and established His authority, He has established His “bulwarks.”
In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks. -Isaiah 26:1
In context we can see the perfect peace spoken of in Isaiah 26:3 is established first upon the actions of God that place Him in complete control and authority. But then it also involves an act of the individual, a mind stayed on God because that individual trusts in the authority of God.
Peace then comes through by the work of God establishing His authority and us trusting in, I’d say even submitting to that authority and rulership.
In our modern world this would mean that true peace is not about Jesus establishing earthly powers, but rather about allowing Jesus to establish His “bulwarks” in our hearts and minds. That we trust His authority.
As Charles Spurgeon wrote,
“To be sure that what you are doing is what Jesus would have yon do is peace.”
For those searching for peace through any other means than Jesus, peace will not be found.
It will not be found in the $500 million spent on self-help seminars each year nor in $776 million spent on self-help books. Peace will not be found in the $90 billion spent on alcohol by Americans each year or in the escapism of the pornography industry (450 million viewers monthly in the world).
Peace is also not found in the good things, a spouse, children, a job, or even exercise.
True peace is found in doing life according to the will of Jesus.
Let us all spend more time in the Word on our knees living in peace.
Plant it in your mind, let it impact your heart, apply it to your life:
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” –Isaiah 26:3, ESV