Faith along the way

I love how God brings something to your mind and then proceeds to confirm it through people, His Word, a pastor’s sermon, etc. In my personal Bible study last week, God placed the idea of being steadfast on my heart and gave me the following Scripture:

“You will keep Him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” -Isaiah 26:3 NKJV; This verse is posted on my bathroom mirror so I can see it often. Verse 4 tells us to trust in the Lord forever for He is everlasting strength.

I have to admit that I’ve mentally been struggling with a few things recently and I have asked the Lord to give me peace in this season I’m in, and that’s the verse He’s given me. One of my passions is looking up the definitions of words in Scripture in a dictionary (I love dictionaries, and I love study Bibles and reading different commentaries) to get a deeper meaning. If you have ever been in the ladies Sunday school class I am honored to teach or any Bible studies I’ve had the privilege of leading, then you know this about me. I hope what I’ve found speaks to someone. It is helping me tremendously. Please keep in mind I am not in any way a Bible scholar. I just love researching God’s Word. Here goes…

The word for keep means to guard, to preserve. In speaking of the mind in this Scripture, it tells me He will guard my mind, my thoughts, my imagination…if my mind is stayed on Him. Oh boy can my imagination sometimes take me way off course! Can anyone relate? That brings me to the word for stayed. It has the idea of upholding, sustaining someone, speaks to the Lord’s support, and can also indicate a placing or laying something on a person or animal…such as a burden. Anyone need to lay a heavy burden down?

The verse goes on to speak of perfect peace. Perfect peace sounds like bliss. I’m in. This has the idea of tranquility coming from God. I noticed it doesn’t say He will take every care or trial or adversity from us. It does mean, in my humble opinion, that He will sustain us through it, and He will keep our mind from going to crazy places it doesn’t need to go. Perfect peace=keep your mind stayed on Him= keep praying, keep reading His Word, keep asking Him to help you, keep asking Him to move in your circumstance, and keep asking Him for strength to endure.

Another very interesting thing I found in researching perfect peace: it is used in several Old Testament Scriptures to indicate a watchman. A watchman was someone who kept guard over a building at night to protect it from danger. Our great God watches over us, watches over our mind and imaginations and works to keep us from danger. We have a dangerous enemy in Satan. He loves to wreak havoc in our mind. Let’s not allow him to have that victory over us!

Lastly, we are told we can trust in God. Trust is confidence, it’s that feeling of being safe and secure that comes when one can rely on someone, to be secure and without fear. I am so very glad I can trust in God. He has proven time and time again that I can trust in Him. Praise His holy name!

Blessings to you,

Jackie