“God’s perfect peace guards hearts and minds focused on Him.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – March 4, 2024
You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3
My mind tends to meander like a curious river, making its way serpentine-like through uncharted waters. Sometimes, an inner inspiration leads me to imagine God in a way that gives me inner eyes to see in ways mental staleness may have missed. For example, when Jesus says, “How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” Matthew 23:37. I can imagine His tender love keeping me close to His heart and wisdom but also a tough love to protect me from unwise choices and venturing through life alone, lacking loving accountability. Where I waste time is when I overthink what I know the Lord, through His Word and godly counsel, has confirmed what I need to do, yet I delay with an excuse propped up by fear. A focused mind is stayed on God. As Oswald Chambers reminds us:
Your mind is the greatest gift God has given you, and it ought to be devoted entirely to Him. You should seek to be “bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). This will be one of the greatest assets of your faith when a time of trial comes because then your faith and the Spirit of God will work together.
What a great reminder that our faith and God’s Spirit collaborate when our thoughts are being held captive by obedience to Christ. Suffering can cause our thoughts to stray away from the security of seeing the Lord with His compassion and care. The enemy loves to leverage pain for untruthful thinking that causes Jesus to feel distant and unconcerned. We start to second guess what we could have done differently (shame and embarrassment), or we feel God has let us down (anger accompanied by a victim mindset). Either way, we can’t change the past, but we can press forward in our pain by faith, with our mind focused on God’s faithfulness and faithfully doing our part to work with the Holy Spirit to work out the maturing of our faith.
This reminds me of when I reengage with sit-ups and pushups after neglecting them for a period of time. My body aches in pain, but over time, if I stay fixed on a routine, I grow stronger. In a similar fashion, I stay fixed on the Lord in prayer to receive His love and to praise Him with a grateful heart. And while staying focused on His peace, my trust grows, and my calm settles.
In the hustle of daily life, maintaining a God-focused mind requires intentional effort. Cultivate a habit of prayer. Philippians 4:6 urges you to present your requests to God with thanksgiving. Regular, sincere communication with your Creator establishes a constant connection, aligning thoughts with His love. Also, invest time to immerse yourself in Scripture. Psalm 119:105 declares, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Regularly delving into the Bible illuminates your mind with divine truths, providing guidance for life’s journey. Consider incorporating daily scripture reading and meditation to anchor your thoughts in God’s wisdom.
Wisely foster a community of faith. Hebrews 10:25 encourages believers not to forsake gathering together. Surrounding yourself with followers of Jesus creates a supportive environment where faith is strengthened, and minds collectively focus on God. Engaging in worship, fellowship, and shared spiritual practices fortifies the mind against distractions. As your mind is focused on and fortified by faith in Jesus Christ, His perfect peace will guard your heart and guide your life.
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7, ESV).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, keep my mind focused on your love, so your peace might guard my heart through Christ’s love and in Jesus’ name, amen.
Application
Consider setting a timer on your phone three times a day to pray a simple prayer to the Lord, something like: “Heavenly Father, thank you for creating my mind to focus on your faithfulness and, in the process, receive your perfect peace and love. And when life issues begin to swirl around me, I will keep my mind stayed on you. In Jesus’ name, amen”
Related Reading
Proverbs 2:6, 23:7; Romans 8:28; 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Worship Resource
We The Kingdom: The Plans
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