You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3).

     We live in a world characterized by turmoil and uncertainties. Danger, whether real or perceived, lurks at almost every corner. Therefore, one of our greatest needs on earth is peace. It is a need we cannot afford to ignore. To attempt that will result in unpleasant and even disastrous consequences. The concept of peace, though commonly agreed to be a universal need of mankind, has been subject to a variety of definitions, ranging from the deep and real to the cosmetic and superficial.
    The cosmetic and superficial version of peace views peace as a condition attainable without the proper foundation of justice and equity. It assumes that   interrelationships among people characterized by civility qualifies as peace. No wonder in connection with this understanding of peace, the Bible says, “For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.” (1Th 5:3). It is impossible for humanity to know peace on earth apart from God’s prescribed means of attaining it. Real peace is predicated on both a relationship and fellowship with God through Jesus Christ (Rom 5:1). That was why Jesus addressed His promise of peace to His disciples. To understand God’s concept of peace requires a careful look at its Biblical meaning.
    Peace is one of the redemptive names of God. It first appears in Judges 6:23, as God’s response to Gideon’s expression of his fear of an imminent death, for his having seen the Angel of LORD. As a result, Gideon built an altar to the Lord and called it the-Lord-is-peace. The Hebrew word translated peace in the scriptural verse above is ‘shalom’. It means: safety, prosperity, well-being; intactness, wholeness etc. This definition of peace is all-encompassing. One of the interesting things about Gideon’s experience is his reference to the Angel of the Lord. This is because the pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus in the Old Testament is usually refered to as the Angel of the Lord, and the Bible calls Jesus our peace (Eph 2:14). Therefore Gideon’s expression of the Lord is peace is a prefigure of one the ways in which God has chosen to reveal Himself to humanity, accross both the Old and the New Testament dispensations.
    Going by the definition of peace above, as well as Gideon’s reference to the Angel of Lord as peace, we can see that Jesus Christ is the only hope of peace for mankind. However, in order to enjoy peace as God desires for us, we need to be rightly positioned. Our main scripture text (Isa 26:3) tells us how that works. For this reason, it is necessary for us to carefully examine it, with a view to ascertaining the components of the verse and their potential applicability to our quest for peace.
    The first part of Isaiah 26:3 reads, “You will keep him in perfect peace. ..” And a careful examination of the quote above, shows that it is a desirable human condition, that represents the climax of a sustained process. It also points to  the fact that perfect peace as a desirable condition of the human life and circumstance is a preference mutually shared by God and man. We can also see from the quote above that, it is only God who can keep mankind in a condition of peace. So, what is the sustained process that results in a person’s experiencing peace?
    We find the answer to the question above in the second part of the verse under consideration. It reads, “Whose mind is stayed on You. …” Obviously, the ‘whose’ here refers to the ‘him’ of the previous part of the verse—a reference to the recipient of perfect peace. This implies that the person who enjoys peace from God is the one whose mind is stayed on God. The process that leads to peace, therefore, is the consistent action of fixing the mind on the Lord Jesus, “for to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Rom 8:6).
          Lastly, the Bible tells us why the person whose mind is stayed on God enjoys perfect peace. It says the reason is: “Because he trusts in You.” Focus on God is both the means and the expression of trust in God. The bedrock of a thriving and blissful relationship with God is trust. It is therefore not surprising that if a person demonstrates trust in God, he or she experiences the peace of God. The Bible’s command to: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;” (Prov 3:5) is timely. The result of which is that”…He shall direct your paths.” (Prov 3:6), and those are paths of peace (Prov 3:17). Shalom.