“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.” (Isa 26:3).
“You will keep him in perfect peace” conveys the idea that God wants your life to be characterized by peace, not such as the world gives, but such as only He gives. The Bible speaks of the peace that the world gives thus: “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.” (1Thes 5:3). The world, according to the Bible, “…lies under the sway of the wicked one.” (1Jn 5:19), and therefore, cannot give what it does not have. We know “the wicked one” refers to Satan, whose only mission among men is to steal, kill and destroy (Jn 10:10). Hence, to rely on the system of the world for peace and safety is to stand on quicksand.
However, God offers us “Perfect peace” because it is His will for all of His children. This peace in the Hebrew language is “shalom” and means, ” prosperity, good health, well-being and safety.” Simply, it means wholeness, and transcends human understanding (Philip 4:7), because it does not usually align with natural logic. For instance, Jesus remained sound asleep in the midst of a heavy storm at sea (Mk 4:37-39). Even when His disciples woke Him up in their hysteria, He was calm and collected. Perfect peace in His heart, explains the admirable composure with which Jesus addressed the problem. In a similar situation years later, Paul the Apostle responded with identical equanimity (Acts 27:21-36). Perfect peace, such as only God gives, is a state of tranquility that neither derives from external circumstances nor depends on them.
The peace of God, which both Jesus and Paul enjoyed in the midst of trouble, wàs neither peculiar to them nor intended to be exclusively for a select few. It is to be the experience of every child of God. You and I should enjoy the peace of God always. It is a fruit of the Spirit—an integral part of our recreated spirit. In fact, a state of peace is the normal condition of the Christian’s mind.
However, God’s promises are usually conditional. The first part of our main scriptural text above is a promise of what God will do, if a certain condition is met: You will keep him in perfect peace, WHOSE MIND IS STAYED ON YOU, because he trusts in You. Though God wants us to enjoy His perfect peace, we will experience it only if we have our minds stayed on Him. If we want to know perfect peace, we need to ensure that nothing shifts our minds from God.
God is the only person who can keep you in perfect peace. There is no amount of effort you make that can produce real peace in your life. Many people seek peace in the wrong places, because they are either ignorant of the source of true peace or are unwilling to follow God’s prescription for knowing His peace. The fact that it is God’s will to keep anyone in perfect peace, indicates that this is what He wants for everyone. Therefore, rest assured that —irrespective of your situation— God’s perfect will for you is peace. Shalom.
