“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (Isaiah 26:3, NLT)
Peace. We often thing of it as the absence of strife, but it encompasses much more. It is an overall sense of well-being. It is a security and a soundness of mind.
The word “well-being” has my attention as it is the second time in a week it has crossed my path. I shared about it in this post here.
As we fix our minds on Him, He fixes our minds,
and brings well-being to our souls.
This verse is an exhortation, an urging by the prophet to trust God, to keep on depending on Him always.
We are to be committed to, dependent on, and leaning upon God. Humble dependence on God will produce a trust in God’s abundant strength; and that trust in God will produce peace.
The more we come to trust and depend on God, the more peace we will experience. As we experience His peace, we come to trust God all the more.
It all comes down to telling God that which has us concerned:
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6, NASB)
“The Greek word translated “anxious” means “to be pulled in different directions.” Our hopes pull us in one direction; our fears pull us the opposite direction; and we are pulled apart! The Old English root of the word means “to strangle.”
(from The Wiersbe Study Bible, page 1747)
As we pray and keep our minds fixed on God, God will be faithful to guards our hearts and minds.
We can have lives marked by perfect peace.
A harmony, quietness, and confidence can be ours
as we trust God and depend on Him.
We are to wait and watch for what God will do. Our position is to humble ourselves before Him, to pray, to ask for His help. And then … we wait and watch. We follow Jesus’ example. I so appreciated reading “Watch and Pray” by Lisa Blair.
Come, sit a spell. Bring your coffee, your posts, and your thoughts. If you link up, kindly visit those who have drawn up a seat around you.
I love the following meaning for anxiety Joanne;
“The Old English root of the word means “to strangle.”
Such wisdom in that meaning, for anxiety definitely strangles the life out of us!
Blessings, Jennifer
Sometimes an old dictionary brings such insight. When we grab onto the hope Scripture brings and let it breathe new life into our souls, it will break the grip of anxiety. May our lives be marked by His peace.
The word “fixed” seems to imply intentionality. When we let our thoughts drift, they can bounce all over like a pinball machine. But when we take our thoughts captive and fix our minds on Christ”” what peace He gives.
This just reminded me of an old song by Haldor Lillenas:
Oh, the peace that Jesus gives
Never dies; it always lives.
Like the music of a psalm,
Like a glad, eternal calm,
Is the peace that Jesus gives,
Is the peace that Jesus gives.
Your use of the word “intentionality” brought to mind an image of nailing our thoughts. We want them to stay secured and in place. I haven’t ever heard the song you mention, but the words are powerful. His peace always lives, ever brings a calm to our lives. Thank you for sharing!
Your words about fixed thoughts hooked a memory from Hebrews 12 about “fixing our eyes on Jesus.” Our thoughts definitely follow our eyes and our eyes certainly impact our thoughts. We get to choose!
It is a progression for sure. I might also add that our thoughts not only follow our eyes but also follow our ears. Reading Scripture aloud to ourselves, listening to worship music, are ways to help us fix our eyes on Jesus.
Well said and a reminder for me in this season. I love what Jennifer and Michele said and that same passage in Hebrews 12 came to mind for me. It reminds me of an illustration our pastor gave on Sunday from the MT 14 chapter about Jesus walking in the storm to rescue his disciples. He noted that He didn’t quell the storm when He knew it was raging, but rather He appeared in the midst of the storm. We (I) can so often pray the storm diminish or be removed and need to focus on Him coming in the midst to reassure me of his presence as well as how He answered Peter and said “I AM.” The I AM dwells within us if we are his.
Pam, thank you for sharing this! Amen! He comes to us in the midst of the storm, and even when the storm may not be diminished, His Presence in our lives is enlarged, covering every part of our lives.
“The more we come to trust and depend on God, the more peace we will experience.” Amen!!
Joanne, the invitation to and promise of perfect peace! Who doesn’t need that today?
Oh, the blessed peace of God. One that permeates every fiber of our being Ms. Joanne. I especially like the idea of what we “fix our thoughts” upon. Where we look, who we turn to, it all matters, doesn’t it ma’am? Another great post with some inspiring insights. Thank you!
It’s amazing! As we fix our eyes on Him – fear leaves, and peace enters. Thank you for the highlight of Watch and Pray, Joanne.
Wow Joanne, – “Our hopes pull us in one direction; our fears pull us the opposite direction; and we are pulled apart! The Old English root of the word means “to strangle.” This really hit home with me as I need to pay attention when I start getting anxious – and examine and see that it is fear pulling me in the opposite direction of hope – so powerful – thank you.
The commentary from Warren Wiersbe was eye opening to me as well. I’m glad it resonated with you. May we pay attention, hold onto the hope Christ gives us, and let it pull us closer to Him.
One of my favorite verses, Joanne, I love Isaiah’s exhortation at intentionality and steadfastness in trusting God, not wavering or trying everything else first.
Joanne, I really appreciate Wiersbe’s insight on that word, anxious. It’s a rich, textured definition that broadens my own very person interpretation. Thanks for including this in your wise piece.
Thank you, God, for peace beyond all understanding. Thank you, Joanne, for the reminder.
“To be pulled in different directions.” Wow, Joanne … that Greek meaning really does sum up the word “anxious” for me. To think that it’s possible to be anxious for NOTHING!! But it’s true … when we cast our cares on Him, one by one by one, He truly does care for us. Hugs, friend.