He Is Always Keeping Me in Perfect Peace

 

 

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." (Isaiah 26:3)

For a long time, I had misconstrued this verse. I kept seeing nothing but demand in this verse, as though I had to do something, like "keep my mind stayed on Him," so that I could have perfect peace.

But the enforcement clause of that promise above is simpler than that: "Because he trusts in You."

So, today, I realize that I have perfect peace in Christ. I do not have to do something more, something extra to have His perfect peace.

The moment that any of us think that we have to add something or perform something extra, we are back under law, and we negate the Finished Work of the Cross.

Paul did not come to preach self-help or self-effort, but

"For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." (1 Corinthians 2:2)

Jesus is alive, and He is our Savior.

We live, and move, and have our being in Him (Acts 17:28)

We have a perfect redemption, because Jesus our High Priest forever, lives after the power of an endless life (Hebrews 7:16)

I already have perfect peace in Christ!

"For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;" (Ephesians 2:14)

and

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7)

All this time, I kept thinking that I had to "do something more." What a mistake.

And then there were all the fearful premonitions and upsets in my mind. I was overwhelmed by this lie that I had to think and feel a certain way. I had to manipulate my mind to ensure that I was not thinking or feeling the wrong things. Oh, the torture!

Thank you, Jesus, that you have set me free!

I see You now more than ever before. I SEE YOU FULLY!

I do not have to "do something" or think something to see You or enact You.

THANK YOU, JESUS!

You are always keeping me in perfect peace. AMEN!

Perfect Peace Based on the Gift of Righteousness

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." (Isaiah 26:3)

I was very troubled in my mind today. Very troubled.

I had all this knowledge of God's Word. I knew that He had made me righteous. I knew that He was working behind the scenes.

And yet, this sense of unrest simply would not leave me.

Then I remembered the above verse: Isaiah 26:3.

For the longest time, I used to believe that that verse meant that I had to make that I was always thinking about God. If I lost my focus in some way, then God would not keep me in "perfect peace".

Well, first I had to learn to recognize that God is everywhere, and that I cannot be separated from Him:

"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 13:5)

So, He will never leave me. He is not going away when I sin or fail. After all, God made it very clear: "I will never leave you ..."

So, what does it mean to have our "mind stayed" on him?

The word "stayed" in the original Hebrew will give us a clue: "samak".

The first mention of "samak"?

"And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him ..." (Genesis 27:37)

Corn and wine speaks of the Holy Communion, and with the communion we celebrate Jesus' death on the Cross.

The second mention of "samak"?

"And thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock. "(Exodus 29:10)

The placing of hands on a sacrificial animal is a type of Christ Jesus taking our sins.

To have our mind stayed on Him, then, speaks of being established fully in His righteousness (Isaiah 54:14, 17), that Jesus completed a perfect work in taking away all our sins at the Cross, and that there is nothing more that we must do to be in Him.

This perfect peace is based on the Gift of righteousness (Romans 5:17), righteousness which comes from the perfect work that Jesus did at the Cross:

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

We have perfect peace because Jesus did a perfect work in washing away all our sins and granting us His righteousness! There is no longer any need for me to do, be, or think a certain way so that God will be OK with me.

I will never be punished for my sins. God will never be angry with me nor rebuke me ever again! (Isaiah 54:9)

I can have perfect peace with Him, because Jesus did a perfect work!