Perfect Peace
“You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
Is. 26:3 ESV
As I’ve been studying what the Bible says about peace, I stumbled upon this verse in Isaiah which speaks of PERFECT PEACE. What a lovely thought. I’d like to share a few thoughts on perfect peace in this week’s devotion.
As I shared last week, PEACE is not the absence of difficult circumstances; it is the presence of the PEACEFUL ONE, the PRINCE OF PEACE, Jesus, in our hearts. We have PEACE, because Jesus lives inside of us by the Holy Spirit.
But what is PERFECT PEACE? How can we have it? What does it look like?
Well let’s begin by looking at the context of this verse. Isaiah was living and prophesying in a time of spiritual and moral decline in Israel. Things in the nation were starting to break down. Leaders and authorities were corrupt and selfish. Sounds a lot like our situation today.
In this verse Isaiah is saying that no matter how bad things look on the earth and in the natural, God in Himself is at peace, confident and ruling over the affairs of men. Isaiah is saying that God, who is in heaven, is not worried. God does not panic.
Heaven is a place of peace. When we fix our eyes on God and heaven, PEACE is what we see. And that PEACE enters our soul as we gaze upon our Loving King and Creator. A mind fixed on God will find PERFECT PEACE.
The word “Perfect Peace” in Hebrew is literally, “Shalom, Shalom.” It means “Peace, Peace.” Said another way it means, “Peace squared, peace multiplied, peace perfected!” It means peace will multiply and increase until it fills our whole being. Hallelujah!
For God to keep us in perfect peace means He “guards, protects, and maintains,” peace for us. This means that God creates a safe castle, or fortress, against the storms of life where PEACE rules and refreshes us. This happens by fixing our hearts, our minds, our eyes on God.
A man named Paternus wrote these words to his son:
“First of all, my child, think magnificently of God. Magnify His providence; adore His power, pray to Him frequently and incessantly. Bear Him always in your mind. Teach your thoughts to reverence Him in every place for there is no place where He is not. Therefore, my child, fear and worship and love God; first and last, think magnificently of Him!”
What a great dad!
What a great encouragement to us today. Think great thoughts about God. Fear, love and honor Him. Pray to Him frequently and forever. Teach your thoughts to revere Him in every way. This is how we will be kept in PERFECT PEACE. This is the life we were born to live.
I encourage you today to find PERFECT PEACE in the face of Jesus Christ. He is our PRINCE OF PEACE. He gives PEACE freely. He lives in perpetual peace. He is not panicking today. Keep your mind occupied by Jesus, the PEACEFUL ONE.
Ask Jesus for His PEACE. He will give it to you. Not just any kind of peace, but PERFECT PEACE.
May PERFECT PEACE, “shalom, shalom”, be yours overflowing today and always!