Peace for the Troubled Mind
3. You will keep in perfect peace, those whose minds are stayed on You, because they trust in You.
4. Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.
Searching for Peace of Mind
There is no doubt that we are living in chaotic times and people are searching for peace of mind. The world is in an upheaval as nations seek domination over one another; they seek control over the world’s resources, and they seek political control over governments. Yet they abandon their leadership duties of providing peace for the masses of people they swore they would defend. Despite these nations claims of superiority, one by one we are seeing the kingdoms of this world fail. The Bible makes an interesting prophecy regarding these times. It was Jesus Himself who said, “the hearts of men will fail them for fear and for looking after those things that are coming upon the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.” Luke 21:26. The final cry of the nations will be: “Babylon has fallen.” The kingdoms have failed to produce peace.
It’s as if peace has been taken from the earth. In reality, peace was never a resource that the world possessed. Our Lord clarified this when He said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you: not as the world gives, do I give to you … don’t let your heart be troubled.” John 14:27. The world can only give you treaties and empty promises, but only Jesus gives real peace. Only in Christ our Lord is there everlasting peace on earth. For that, we can rejoice and say, “Peace on earth, goodwill toward men.”
Instead of peace, Jesus said that this world would end with a time of hatred, terror, and national disaster like never before. All these things will trouble the minds of the masses and strike panic in the hearts of people across this globe. People will not know where to turn. They will not know who to trust. Their fear and anxiety will increase as famine, disease, and disaster descends upon the earth. Yet, there is hope in the midst of such chaos. That hope is found in the Peace of God.
The Prophet Isaiah makes an astounding prophetic promise: You will keep in perfect peace, those whose mind is stayed on You, because they trust in You. You are probably asking a very blunt question: Does this apply to us and our time? Will God give us His peace? Please note – this prophecy has no expiration date. It is good for all times and will be good until the Lord Himself returns to the earth. The verse that follows says, Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. Who were the first ears to hear this amazing promise? What were they facing that caused them to seek the peace of God? They were faithful Jews who looked forward to the coming Day of the Lord. Despite the heathen practices in Israel, there were believers who trusted God and followed His Law. They believed that God would bring about a day of peace.
Much like us, they assumed that peace depended on the absence of trouble and conflict. They were focusing on a specific day in time rather than on God. They thought that there would be peace after the enemies were destroyed, and after they could return to the Temple and worship; but what they failed to realize is that PEACE is not a day. Peace is the gift that God brings into the heart.
Today, people are searching for peace and cannot find it. They are searching for peace through political systems. They are searching for peace in the abundance of things; many are supposing that if they could get the latest, the biggest, the brightest thing; they would have peace. Still others are trying to escape through riches, drugs, sexual fantasies, or running away into the wilderness. None of these things can bring peace. This peace can only come from God.
The meaning of Peace
In the Hebrew language, the word “peace” was called “shalom” and meant a number of things including “blessing, favor, health, happy, prosperous, and rest.” This is the reason that peace can only come from God because only God can provide these things. When Isaiah made this prophecy, God’s people desperately needed the blessing and favor of God. Their nation was on the brink of captivity by the powerful Assyrian army. They needed peace. Looming in the not to distant future was the prophecy that they would be removed from their land because of their sin. They needed peace. The nation was plagued with idolatry and sinful practices. Those that continued to believe in God and practice their faith were persecuted. They needed peace. They needed to know that God was in control. In the words of Tye Tribbett, they needed to know that “we gone be alright.” God wanted to shift their focus from the day to the One who would make things alright. He sent the Prophet Isaiah with the good news that God will keep in perfect peace, those whose minds are stayed on Him, because they trust in God.
What does this mean for us today? First, the message of peace only applies to those who are focused on God. You will keep in perfect peace, those whose minds are stayed on You, because they trust in You. I don’t need to tell you that there are many distractions in this world. Social media addiction is a real phenomenon. There are people who literally sleep with their phone because they don’t want to miss anything that goes on. Is that what you focus your mind on? Will those things and the information they provide bring you peace? Absolutely not. Yet when we turn our focus to God Almighty, He responds by flooding our life with His Word.
What does it mean to have our minds stayed on God? First, God is the center of our attention. Remember, the Lord says, “He is a Jealous God … and will not have other gods before Him.” When God is the center of your attention, He is the One controlling the information that flows through your mind. Second, God has something valuable to share. He has His Peace to apply to your mind. It is God’s Peace that causes the storms of the mind to cease. Thirdly, God rewards those who pay attention to Him. If you are not paying attention many of the blessings are already there. How many will admit that we don’t always pay attention to the things that are coming out of Heaven because we are too busy paying attention to earthly things? Keep your focus on God. Pay attention.
Not only should we recognize God’s peace by paying attention, we must thank God for His Perfect Peace. Foremost, this peace of God is exactly what we need. It is the perfect match for the situations we face individually and collectively. God’s peace is just right for everyone who believes. There are many that think that peace is a sedative or some spiritual medication to keep us calm. NO! The peace of God is filled with blessing, prosperity, happiness, joy, and fulfillment. Notice that it is applied to the mind. The presence of God not only keeps you from being upset, but it also sets you up. It sets you up to respond to God’s leadership. It sets you up by preparing you for the assignment that God Almighty has given. It sets you up so that you can be more than a conqueror and declare that “No weapon formed against us shall prosper.” This peace of God is also perfect in that it accomplishes to the fullest extent of what it was intended to do. God’s peace completes you. The old church saints had a saying, “He’s a mind regulator and a heart fixer.” This may have been taken as a cliché but it is very real in that God regulates your mind to properly and perfectly handle information. Wrong information is rejected by the mind that is filled with perfect peace. Good information is digested and applied by the mind that is filled with perfect peace. Thank God for His Perfect Peace that keeps my mind stayed on Him.
Not only should we focus on God who gives us peace of mind, but we should thank God also that His Peace is perfect, complete, and all that we need. There is one other factor that relates to the Peace of God that is found in Isaiah 26:4. God administers this Peace personally. Verse 3 ends with because they trust in the Lord and that is where verse 4 picks up with, Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. The NIV rendering of Verse 4 says, Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord Himself, is the Rock eternal. That may not mean much to some, but to those who believe, it means that God is personally involved in our peace. He did not leave our peace on some mountaintop where we must climb to reach it. He did leave our peace across the sea somewhere that we have to journey to receive it. God Almighty brings this peace to those that are focused on Him.
What does that mean? This totally annihilates the argument that it is up to us to find God. Right now, if you are going through a season of distress and heartache, you don’t need to further burden yourself with finding God. He already knows where you are and what you are going through. All you need to do is turn your focus to Him and recognize that He is God. Turn away from the distractions, and the Everlasting God, Himself will give you His Peace. Why does God bring this Peace to you? God loves you and knows that you need it. God Himself is involved in your life. This does not mean that you will have the absence of problems. That defeats the whole purpose of having peace in the first place. It does mean, that you will always have God’s Presence as you receive God’s Peace.