Isaiah 26:3
English Standard Version (ESV)
3 You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
What a season this has been…I read that verse and sigh and think to myself that sounds really good right about now. How about you? Would you like some perfect peace? Peace in Hebrew is shalom. Shalom is not just peace, it's complete peace, perfect peace, wholeness, harmony. Free of agitation or discord. Is your life free of agitation and discord? All I have to do is get in my car and drive around our fair city, shalom goes out the window! But seriously, wouldn't this just feel amazing? Breaking down the verse further the next piece says "whose mind is stayed on you". Ah…here in lies the key. To have your mind "stayed" on something means you plant it there and it is immoveable. You stand firm. Regardless of circumstances or situations, that is all you see, all you know, all you want. Reflecting, how many things in my life does Jesus have to compete with for where my mind is "stayed"? Am I consumed by conflict with loved ones? Am I struggling in a situation that's work related? Am I defeated by discord with my son? If I am allowing all these things to consume me, God's fire cannot. If my mind is hurriedly racing from one drama to the next maybe it's time for me to unsubscribe to cable tv for the mind and get a God antenna so He is the only channel my receiver gets? Amen? He is perfect peace. He is shalom. If our minds are "stayed" on Him, there is nothing that we are concerned, consumed, or confounded by. We want for nothing more than to bask in His presence and His peace. God is our author and creator, our perfecter. Nothing is happening or has happened in our life that is a sudden news flash to Him. He will be with us. Even when we have to put our heads down and weather the storm, He is there…who do you think controls the storm? The perfect peace comes, shalom, because we trust in Him. By trusting in Him we acknowledge that He is in control, not us. Oh we love the illusion of control, especially us strong women. We've been through a lot so we can get through anything. But, if we look back through those times in our lives, He orchestrated our deliverance not us. Sometimes we just give ourselves the credit. Yes friends, I have learned that perfect peace, shalom, completeness only comes when we lay our lives down at His feet, open our hands, and say I trust you God. We clean house, get rid of the idols in our life, including ourselves (Nora 101) and we keep our minds "stayed" on Him. We practice our spiritual disciplines of solitude, prayer that involves listening instead of just talking, being intentional about studying His word. To honor Kidd Kradick, an amazing man who we just lost this year, his signature catch phrase is appropriate for this blog he'd say, "Keep looking up cause that's where it all is!" Thank you Kidd.
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
What a season this has been…I read that verse and sigh and think to myself that sounds really good right about now. How about you? Would you like some perfect peace? Peace in Hebrew is shalom. Shalom is not just peace, it's complete peace, perfect peace, wholeness, harmony. Free of agitation or discord. Is your life free of agitation and discord? All I have to do is get in my car and drive around our fair city, shalom goes out the window! But seriously, wouldn't this just feel amazing? Breaking down the verse further the next piece says "whose mind is stayed on you". Ah…here in lies the key. To have your mind "stayed" on something means you plant it there and it is immoveable. You stand firm. Regardless of circumstances or situations, that is all you see, all you know, all you want. Reflecting, how many things in my life does Jesus have to compete with for where my mind is "stayed"? Am I consumed by conflict with loved ones? Am I struggling in a situation that's work related? Am I defeated by discord with my son? If I am allowing all these things to consume me, God's fire cannot. If my mind is hurriedly racing from one drama to the next maybe it's time for me to unsubscribe to cable tv for the mind and get a God antenna so He is the only channel my receiver gets? Amen? He is perfect peace. He is shalom. If our minds are "stayed" on Him, there is nothing that we are concerned, consumed, or confounded by. We want for nothing more than to bask in His presence and His peace. God is our author and creator, our perfecter. Nothing is happening or has happened in our life that is a sudden news flash to Him. He will be with us. Even when we have to put our heads down and weather the storm, He is there…who do you think controls the storm? The perfect peace comes, shalom, because we trust in Him. By trusting in Him we acknowledge that He is in control, not us. Oh we love the illusion of control, especially us strong women. We've been through a lot so we can get through anything. But, if we look back through those times in our lives, He orchestrated our deliverance not us. Sometimes we just give ourselves the credit. Yes friends, I have learned that perfect peace, shalom, completeness only comes when we lay our lives down at His feet, open our hands, and say I trust you God. We clean house, get rid of the idols in our life, including ourselves (Nora 101) and we keep our minds "stayed" on Him. We practice our spiritual disciplines of solitude, prayer that involves listening instead of just talking, being intentional about studying His word. To honor Kidd Kradick, an amazing man who we just lost this year, his signature catch phrase is appropriate for this blog he'd say, "Keep looking up cause that's where it all is!" Thank you Kidd.
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