You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. – Isaiah 26:3
There are more than 50 songs that have come out in the past few years with “trouble” in the title. Trouble is a guaranteed part of life. In John 16:33 NIV, Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” The year-plus of coronavirus has dealt troubles to many – loss of a job, of health, of a family member, of possessions, even freedoms. Writer Jay E. Adams says, “While God has not yet removed trouble from the Christian or the Christian from trouble, He has, by the Word and His Spirit, given believers all that is necessary to handle the trouble successfully.” The apostle Paul used hardship as an opportunity to glorify Christ.
Look again at today’s verse and be encouraged. There are three profound phrases in Isaiah’s statement. First, the outcome “You will keep him in perfect peace.” Then the action, “whose mind is stayed on you,” and the reason, “because he trusts in you.”
The words in Isaiah and the words of Jesus do not suggest there won’t be any troubles…. but they do tell how to deal with them. Keep your mind fixed on trusting the Lord. Then take heart! ”He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4). God can and does work to bring good out of troublesome circumstances, great or small, for His glory.
Those in positions of authority have their own troubles; the nation has troubles. Pray that those serving in public office will turn to the One True God, who can guide them with wisdom to solutions and to peace of mind.
Today’s Verse: Isaiah 26:3
You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Recommended for further reading: Isaiah 26:2-12
Open the gates,
that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.
3 You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
4 Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
5 For he has humbled
the inhabitants of the height,
the lofty city.
He lays it low, lays it low to the ground,
casts it to the dust.
6 The foot tramples it,
the feet of the poor,
the steps of the needy.”
7 The path of the righteous is level;
you make level the way of the righteous.
8 In the path of your judgments,
O Lord, we wait for you;
your name and remembrance
are the desire of our soul.
9 My soul yearns for you in the night;
my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.
For when your judgments are in the earth,
the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
10 If favor is shown to the wicked,
he does not learn righteousness;
in the land of uprightness he deals corruptly
and does not see the majesty of the Lord.
11 O Lord, your hand is lifted up,
but they do not see it.
Let them see your zeal for your people, and be ashamed.
Let the fire for your adversaries consume them.
12 O Lord, you will ordain peace for us,
for you have indeed done for us all our works.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
