Reading the Bible means interaction between God and me. I read, think, and ponder and ask Him questions. This is certainly so when I stumble upon a verse that jumps off the page. It happened to me the other day when I was struggling through the woe's in Isaiah, looking for a gem. There it was: You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you (Isaiah 26:3).
I had to read that verse over and over again and came to the conclusion that if, for some reason, I do not experience perfect peace, my mind must not be steadfast. My mind must be wavering, maybe being tossed back and forth by the waves... the waves of every day life and events. David recognized this 'state of mind' and asked God: Test me, O Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind (Psalm 26:2). Thinking about the state of our mind in relation to faith I realized faith is more than a matter of the heart, more than a spiritual exercise. It is also a matter of cultivating a steadfast mind.
The greatest commandment as stated by Jesus is, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (Matthew 22:37). We must make up our mind where we stand with God and where we stand in our faith. That means finding the right balance in our love for God; in heart, soul and mind! Trying to do that in our own strength can be a frustrating exercise. That is why we need the guidance of the Holy Spirit. When we submit the condition of our heart, soul and mind to Him, He can bring about the peace the prophet Isaiah spoke about. Romans 8:6 confirms this: The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.
Wow! When we let go of wanting to be in control all the time and hand the reigns over to the Holy Spirit, in other words: when we put our trust in God, the Spirit of the living God will bring perfect peace!
Hi Marja - I love this! I love how you turned the scripture around to make the point about the mind must be steadfast. Next time I feel that lack of peace, I will ask myself the same question. Excellent post, have a great weekend
ReplyDeleteGod bless
Tracy
Thanks for your visit Tracy and your kind words. Appreciate it. enjoy your weekend!
ReplyDeleteExcellent food for thought. Just wrestled with a mental situation this week; let's just say my mind was tossed back and forth quite a bit. It's a good learning experience with my goal to be steadfast and secure in Him.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Karen
Marja:
ReplyDeleteOne of the topics I am researching is peace. I had Isaiah 26:3 come to mind immediately. The NKJV says: "You will keep in perfect peace,whose mind is stayed in Thee."
Karen, I was experiencing it too, that is why tat scripture stood out for me! Thanks fro your comments.
ReplyDeleteSalviano, I used Google translate to read your comments, thanks!
Thanks Cecelia, I looked it up in different translations as well, powerful scripture!
ReplyDeleteThanks.
A steadfast mind is one of my goals, too. Thanks for sharing, Marja. I love it when the Lord shines new light on His word!
ReplyDeleteYes, me too Jeanette! It was like I saw this scripture for the first time!
ReplyDeleteWonderful Post, Marja.
ReplyDeleteThat is something I need to improve in my life . Being steadfast in my mind. It is in the trust department that I struggle sometimes. When things go haywire as they do most of the time I worry that I should have done things differently or not done them at all.
Marja, this verse holds such meaning for me. When I was going through a crisis, the Lord brought it to mind. I didn't even recall where it was located in Scripture, but it ministered to me.
ReplyDeleteI was able to relax and trust God. By His grace, everything turned out okay.
Blessings,
Susan :)
Wyn, I think we all need to improve in this, we are so easily influenced by our circumstances... Keep working on it and don't forget the Holy Spirit to help you!
ReplyDeleteSusan, thanks for your comment, it is the icing on the cake :)
Isaiah 26:3 is one of my favorite verses. Thank you for this wonderful post! It has blessed me greatly today!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Cherie