Perfect peace

You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. – Isaiah 26v3

It must seem like we address the issue of peace just about every time it comes up in scripture. There is a good chance that is true since these are my own thoughts and it is an area that I need to be reminded of all the time.

It is hard to find peace in this troubled world. Every time I check out my news feed it seems like something out of future disaster film. Virtually every news story is doom and gloom and pending disaster. Every new scandal and criminal act is more and more ugly and grotesque.

It is pretty unsettling and anything but peaceful.

Then I think about my personal situation. What am I going to do if support keeps drying up? What happens if the government decides to close down the Youthreach programme and I lose my job? What am I going to do when I get old and have been renting for all these years? What is going to happen?

Even as I type this my heart is beating faster and I have that terrible anxious feeling in my gut.

This kind of anxiety comes when my mind is ‘stayed’ on circumstances. It comes because I put my trust in the wrong things. I am not trusting the God who is in control, but circumstance created by sinful man.

Paul picks up this thought when he writes to the Philippian believers. ‘Don’t be full of cares, but instead, in every situation approach God with a thankful spirit with your prayers and supplications. Then He will give you His peace which passes all understanding.’

God will keep us in perfect peace when our minds are stayed on Him, because we are trusting Him instead of everything else.