53.w. Isaiah 26:3-4

 

 

Isa 26:3-4  You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.  Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.

 Isaiah 57:19-21    creating the fruit of the lips. Peace, peace, to the far and to the near,” says the LORD, “and I will heal him.  But the wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up mire and dirt.  There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”

 Psalms 85:7-8   Show us your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation.  Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly.

 Micah 5:5     And he shall be their peace.

 John 14:27    Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

 John 16:33   I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

 Romans 5:1    Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 Ephesians 2:14-16     For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility  by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,  and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

 Philippians 4:7    And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 Isaiah 31:1   Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the LORD!

 Psalms 9:10     And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.

 Jeremiah 17:7-8    “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD.  He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

 Romans 4:21   fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.

 That day, seems to mean when the New Testament Babylon shall be levelled with the ground. The unchangeable promise and covenant of the Lord are the walls of the church of God. The gates of this city shall be open. Let sinners then be encouraged to join to the Lord. Thou wilt keep him in peace; in perfect peace, inward peace, outward peace, peace with God, peace of conscience, peace at all times, in all events. Trust in the Lord for that peace, that portion, which will be for ever. Whatever we trust to the world for, it will last only for a moment; but those who trust in God shall not only find in him, but shall receive from him, strength that will carry them to that blessedness which is for ever. Let us then acknowledge him in all our ways, and rely on him in all trials. (Henry)

‘Peace, peace;’ the repetition of the word denoting, as is usual in Hebrew, emphasis, and here evidently meaning undisturbed, perfect peace. That is, the mind that has confidence in God shall not be agitated by the trials to which it shall be subject; by persecution, poverty, sickness, want, or bereavement. (Barnes)

The word “perfect” is not in the Hebrew text, it is there “peace, peace”; which is doubled to denote the certainty of it, the enjoyment of it, and the constancy and continuance of it; and as expressive of all sorts of peace, which God grants unto his people, and keeps for them, and them in; as peace with God and peace with men, peace outward and peace inward, peace here and peace hereafter; and particularly it denotes the abundance of peace that believers will have in the kingdom of Christ in the latter day. (Gill)

2.n. If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.’”

2 Chronicles 10:20  Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.”

Isaiah 7:9    And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.’”

Isaiah 26:3   You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

John 14:1   “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

Romans 8:31   What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Luke 16:31    He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

Hebrews 11:6    And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

John 5:46-47     For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.  But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

Belief, non-belief, and somewhere in between.  A belief mindset with a whole heart, mind, and soul has visible and unseen qualities and attributes.  These qualities and attributes reflect the light, grace, love, and mercy of Jesus Christ.  This reflection can be a light on a hill to anyone within sight.  This reflection yields to that which honors and glorifies Jesus Christ.  The person who yields must intentionally choose to yield.  Their light does not grow dim or become overshadowed when the darkness of storms roll into their life.  In fact, the light becomes brighter and more visible.  This person spends time in God’s word meditating on it, drinking and breathing it in for they seek above all else to hear and be used by God.  There is hardly a waking moment where they are not living in a sought after presence with Jesus Christ.  They hear, follow, and obey the whispers of the Holy Spirit through His word.  They continue to grow in understanding and knowledge of what it means to deny self.  They grow in understanding of sin and their sinful nature that keeps trying to take control.  They keep their eyes on eternity and humbly walk this life to serve, honor, worship, glorify, follow, obey, trust, and rely on Jesus Christ.

The non-belief mindset gives their whole heart, mind, and soul to do what is right in their own eyes.  Their guidance is focused on that which makes them feel good, in control, and false dreams of purpose.  Their satisfaction is never satisfied.  Their hunger for more pleasing and purpose is never satisfied.  They follow their own desires for self-interest.  Happiness and joy never last and they move from one thing to the next.  They spend their time purposefully without seeking or desiring Jesus Christ.  They happily mock and reject Him.  They are more concerned with things of this world and deny the creator of it.  They are lost and follow the wide path of life that leads to eternity in Hell.  They give approval to their lifestyle and others who do the same.  There is hope for these and others like them to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and be saved.

Those somewhere in between are the ones who are truly lost.  Their belief leads them to think they are right with God but their life has no reflection of the light of Jesus Christ.  Their life in outward appearance looks no different than those with no belief.  They know what to say and they pretend all that they do is all that is expected in Christian life.  They compare themselves with others and perform to a level they think will be acceptable to God.  They spend little time in devotion and even less time in the study of His word.  They may attend church but display no gifts of the Holy Spirit to edify and grow the body of the church.   They have become satisfied with neglect and complacent living.  There are much self-interest activities in their life.  They allow the busyness of life to take control of their life and give little to no thought of Jesus Christ throughout the day.  They are lukewarm and seem to follow the path of least effort when it comes to serving Jesus Christ.  There is no growth and they are stagnating.  They are no more on the path that leads to life than those with no belief.  Because they have once heard and believed but now have chosen to turn their backs to God, His Word, and try to share their self-interest/self-centered heart, soul, and mind with Him.  This is a deception.  There is no sharing of our heart, soul, and mind.  We either give whole to one or the other.  These are the worst for they have the appearance of a Christian but have no power and light of Jesus Christ in their life.

The battle is not yours

 I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior.”

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

Exodus 14:10  When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD.  They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt?  Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”  And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.  The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”  The LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward.

Numbers 14:9    Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.”

2 Kings 6:16    He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

2 Chronicles 20:15    And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the LORD to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s.

2 Chronicles 20:17     You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you.”

Psalms 27:1-2    The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?  When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall.

Isaiah 35:4    Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”

Isaiah 30:15    For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” But you were unwilling,

Isaiah 41:10-14     fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  Behold, all who are incensed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish.  You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all.  For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”  Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

Lamentations 3:26     It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

From John Piper:

Our task today is not to have the strength needed for tomorrow’s burdens. Our task today is to live by the mercies given for today, and to believe that there will be new mercies for tomorrow. Today’s mercies do not include strength for tomorrow; they include faith that tomorrow’s unseen mercies will be sufficient for tomorrow.

It’s important because of how natural and strong is the impulse in our hearts to want to feel sufficient today for tomorrow’s challenges. We don’t like it when the gauge reads “empty” at the end of the day, and we have to go to sleep—if we can—not feeling the power for tomorrow’s troubles.

You can know some of the pressures that are coming tomorrow. And part of your job may be to make some preparations for them. Those preparations are part of today’s “sufficient” trouble. But how those preparations will turn out tomorrow, and whether you feel strong enough today to do your part tomorrow—that is not something God wants you to carry today. Those are tomorrow’s burdens. God does not give mercies today for bearing tomorrow’s burdens.

So we must not compound today’s load with fretting over tomorrow’s. We must not doubt God and say, “I have no more strength; so tomorrow will be impossible to live.” That’s not true. You will not be asked to live tomorrow on today’s strength. What you need today is not tomorrow’s strength, but today’s faith that tomorrow’s mercies will be new and will be enough. 

Faith stands on the promise of God and waits and hopes in weakness and peace. And, of course, that waiting and hoping is part of today’s mercy. Part of today’s mercy is the ability to trust that there will be sufficient mercy for tomorrow. And we trust in that because God promises it

But in spite of all the peace that faith can bring about today, it is not yet tomorrow’s mercy or tomorrow’s power. There’s a difference. And that’s why there is such a battle that goes on. We want the feeling of adequacy today for what we will have to go through tomorrow. But God says, Trust me. I will give it to you when you need it.

Thankful – God will supply all our needs

“Do not my words do good to him who walks uprightly?”

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

“Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered”

Psalms 84:4  Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise!  Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.  As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools.  They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.  O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob!  Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed!  For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.  For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.  O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you! 

Philippians 4:19     And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Psalms 34:9     Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!  The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

Proverbs 2:7     he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,

Proverbs 28:6    Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.

Have you ever thought of what it is that hinders walking with God?  Lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, greed, and pride all lead down a path of ever wanting and never finding.  These are all temporary satisfactions that have no end and will never satisfy the heart, soul and mind.  Satisfaction the world offers is tied to that which cannot satisfy the heart and soul.  Searching for satisfaction outside of God is like chasing the wind – (never caught – only a temporary sensory feeling – always changing direction). Those who desire and seek God choose to be humbly serving, honoring, following, and obeying Him.  Their eyes are on Him and eternity promised.  Holiness, purity, genuine love, kindness, faith, hope, generosity, obedience, service, and humbleness replace complacency, neglect, lust, greed, and worldly satisfaction.  Their hope is in the Lord.  Their trust is in the Lord.  Their strength is in Him.  Their peace is in Him. Their want is to honor Him.  Their desire is to serve, follow and obey Him. Their wisdom and food for life this side of eternity is found in His word and promises.

Give God Praise

“I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”

“giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,”

Psalms 57:7  My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody! Awake, my glory! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn! I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!

Psalms 108:1 My heart is steadfast, O God! I will sing and make melody with all my being!  Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn!

Psalms 112:7     He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.

Proverbs 1:33   but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.

Proverbs 3:25  Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes,  for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.

Luke 21:9    And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.”

Romans 5:3   Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,

Luke 21:19   By your endurance you will gain your lives.

Isaiah 26:3  You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.  Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.

Psalms 118:8  It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.  It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.

Awake my soul and give thanks to God!  Awake my heart and mind, trust God and take refuge in Him! None of us are immune to having issues and when you think about it our attention and reliance on God seems to jump up to a totally higher level when trials and troubles come into our lives.  The thought that comes to mind; why is there another level to our attention and reliance on and in God during these times?  We would do well to be in attention and reliance of His presence every moment of our day.  Granted there are times of blessing and times of trials.  However, shouldn’t there be a high level of attention and reliance in times of blessings.  We easily understand crying out to our rock and refuge in times of trials.  We should just as easily sing out praises in times of blessings.  Singing and shouting out heart felt praises is a sure sign that you are not just seeking God when trials come but rather see His hand through out each day.  I was speaking with someone yesterday and reminded them of how their attention to signs of a stroke potentially saved the life of my sister.  He immediately said trust me on this – God made me see this and moved me to take action.  He alone allowed me to see this.  This was over 15 years ago and it is still fresh in his mind how God allowed him to see the signs.  He is still giving God praise because of this.  Everyday we have opportunity to see God’s hand at work and give Him praise.  Commit to seeing how many things you can give praise to God about today!!!

Give Thought

“Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good”

“Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,”

Psalms 2:12
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Proverbs 16:20
Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.

Psalms 40:4
Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie!

Psalms 84:12
O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!

Psalms 146:3-5
Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,

Isaiah 26:3-4
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.

Isaiah 30:18
Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.

Jeremiah 17:7
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD.

In light of the election and all of the comments, worries, projections, future outcomes, rise of nation, fall of nation, and loss of trust, gain of trust….. it is important to keep things in perspective.  It is very easy for us to have our eyes on the promises and commitments from our leaders no matter what party is in place.  I have experienced sadness and indifference to outcomes from the past.  What I do know is if I dwell on certain aspects (relationships, government, education, projects, prices, labor and a host of other issues) with negative thoughts of, no hope, no trust, or no future it consumes me. Jesus said ” Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” It is good for me to read these words of encouragement today “Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good” “Blessed is he whose mind is fixed on God”, “Blessed are those who trust is in the Lord”, “Blessed are those who wait for Him”, “Blessed is he who makes the Lord his trust”.  We can all do better at reading as much in His word as what we read about situations in the world.  We can all do better at leaning not onto our own understanding but give thanks to God for all of the blessings we have.  It is not wrong to be aware of potential issues and have concerns but to allow them to fill every waking thought is bad.  This will only set you on a course that leaves no thought or time for trusting and thanking God for He alone is our hope and strength.