Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- October 26, 2010
“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal. Isaiah 26:3-4
Peace and trust are best friends. Normally we do not see one, without the other. Where peace resides trust is close by, and where trust abounds there is peace. Their goal is to stamp out fear and doubt. The mind can play tricks on us. We can talk ourselves into almost anything, but the mind is God’s gateway to shape wise beliefs and right behaviors.
Our mind can cause us to well up with courage, because our focus is on God. Or, our mind can cause us to wilt in the face of adversity, because our focus is on our circumstances. Peace melts away in the heat of distrust and trust shutters in the face of fear. So, as we trust the Lord, He gives us peace that passes all understanding. Trust leads to peace.
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).
Thus, fill your mind with the truth of God and let it lodge in your unconsciousness. Truth releases peace and trust when you are pressured. Your mind is a school for study, so make sure your faculty members flow from the character of God. If you are preoccupied with the faulty teachers of fear and pride you will wallow in sideways energy of worry. What you think about Christ’s capabilities determines your level of peace and trust.
Your thoughts, perceptions, emotions, will, memory and imagination are all wrapped up in your human consciousness called the mind. This is why your mind is like the rudder of your life. Wherever your mind takes you, your behavior will follow. “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…” (Proverbs 23:7 NKJV). If thoughts take you toward the rocks of fear, you will act fearful. If they take you toward the shore of peace, you will act calm.
But, a mind, latched onto the Lord, trusts Him when circumstances beg for you to cower in fear. Thus, keep your perspective on the horizon of heaven. Like a ship cascading through the open sea, you have the wind of the Holy Spirit moving you forward, with the compass of truth leading you toward the ultimate destination of God’s will.
Make peace and trust a staple of your spiritual diet, as they nourish your soul like food and water invigorates your body. Like a security detail, they will escort you through good and bad times. They will protect you from lashing out in anger when you have been deeply hurt. A steadfast mind is one that stays focused on Jesus and His expectations.
Cultivate your brain for more creative ways to apply His peace and trust. Do not analyze God out of the equation. Rather, draw Him into your conclusions. A steadfast mind on the Lord will erupt like a volcano in perfect peace. Trust Him today and enjoy the lava of His hot love and His warm embrace. A peaceful trust comes from our perfect God!
Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Do I daily embrace the peace of Jesus? Does my thinking default to peace and trust?
Related Readings: Job 22:21; Psalm 85:8; Isaiah 52:7; Luke 2:14; Romans 16:20
Boyd Bailey is the author of Wisdom Hunters daily devotional and two devotional books, Infusion and Seeking Daily the Heart of God