Keep Your Focus on GOD’s Word! It Brings Safety to Your Mind?

Isaiah 26:1-8 shows the traveler the future and their present how GOD provides rest for the weary and afraid. It offers hope for those who do not have a defender or place to call home.

Isaiah 26:3 gets right to it… "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You". This Scripture is part of the promise associated with a larger portion of chapter 26.

This excerpt from the grouping of verses 1-8. The prophet Isaiah is telling the righteous people to come through the gates of this city, if their faith in the LORD GOD is steadfast. Those same people will experience the redemption of the LORD, if their faith (trust) in Him remains intact and steady, and walks in His Truth. Is this not the same promise those who trust Him today was given? The faithful will find security and safety in His protected City.

How does GOD keep His followers in perfect peace, when they keep their minds stayed on Him? Does that mean that he trusts in GOD if his mind is always on Him?

“Perfect” Peace (Shalom) is not restrictive but is embedded in our unwavering faith in GOD. He is the “Rock Eternal.” This Rock (Sur) is not only steady, but He is a Refuge and a place to run to for Rescue.

If your mind is unstable and your world is always a mess, place your hope and trust in the LORD. He is able to free you.

What have we to be concerned with, if we are trusting in the LORD GOD? That should be the question. If I do not walk in full trust of the LORD of Shalom, my soul man and my faith will be walking in, living in and functioning in (“ra”) chaos, failure, brokenness and evil. Why? Because I have trusted in no one else but my Savior Who fights for me, and keeps me stable, complete and free of mind.

I have found myself shaken on occasion, when my world seems to come undone. The opposite of “shalom” is not solely “war” or “conflict”, it is unrest.

GOD’s Word helps anyone to find rest, security and a renewed mind; thus, He heals our thoughts and keeps the anxiousness away — as-long-as we trust in His Saving, Avenging, Merciful and Kind Son, Yeshua! He ALONE is our Security and Restoration.

In NO OTHER person, NO OTHER place, NO OTHER thing nor NO IDOL… are we to place our faith or allegiance!  ONLY He has the Place of Salvation and the Power to Rescue, Protect and Spare our souls!

NOTE: GOD’s Word can cause us to be whole and confident, rather than shattered and always in a frenzy.

Please read and understand this next thing… GOD’s Peace does not depend on external situations or the absence of trouble. Instead, it is anchored in His unchanging Presence and His faithful guarantees. His promised Peace is and will ALWAYS be established in our faithfulness to Him as a result of a steadfast relationship with His Son. That only comes when a person’s mind and heart are continually focused on Him, trusting in His character and Word.

So… What is “stayed” or “focused”, concerning our “mind”? In a nutshell, it means our attention. It also means to deliberately and continually to direct our thoughts, desires, and preferences on Him. If you still want specifics — His character, His Word, and His Covenant.

Are you one who is prone to be tossed by the contrary winds? You can’t be, if you want to be associated with the gates of the City that provides the safety you and I seek (see Isaiah 26:1-8 again).

NOTE: Our focus should be myopic of sorts. Our gaze must be unwavering!

NOTE: This is not a passive choice of condition for us, but an active, ongoing commitment to direct our thoughts, desires, and priorities toward ADONAI above all else. That is NOT easy to do, and it certainly has not been for me.

NOTE: I say again, the foundation of this Shalom is trust. Trusting GOD means relying on His wisdom, goodness, and faithfulness, even when life is uncertain. It IS and MUST BE our active and daily choice to surrender every worry and anxiety to Him, believing He is able and willing to provide relief.

QUESTION: How do we maintain this Peace, once we find ourselves living in it?

NOTE: Continuing in His Shalom involves regular prayer, meditating on Scripture, worship in many ways, intentional gratitude, and fellowship with other believers. Believe it or not, doing those things help keep my mind (and will yours too) anchored in GOD’s Truth & will, rather than being overwhelmed by life’s distractions.

IT WORKS!

Have you ever met (maybe you know someone right now) anyone who seemed to appear cool, calm and collected? It is probably because his or her mind is continually focused on GOD’s Word. If they are talking about His Ways, Word and Will, while in trying situations, it is a strong indicator that they trust Him.

NOTE: Trust and focus reinforce each other. The more you trust GOD, the more you’ll keep your mind on Him. The more you keep your mind on Him, the deeper your trust will grow. I am certain of that!