Perfect Peace

I am going to try to be quick because I have to get back to some tasks at hand. I could not get this passage off of my mind this morning:

Isaiah 26:3-4
3 You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.
4 Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.

Lets just do a real quick Hebrew word study of this passage if you will hang with me!

The word for keep here is Nasar meaning "to guard, protect, keep; to obey; observe, behold, watch, inspect. Used to denote guarding a vineyard (Isa 27:3), a fig tree (Pr 27:18), and a fortress (Na 2:1). Those who performed this function were called "watchmen," the Qal active participle form of nasar (2 Ki 17:9, 18:8; Jer 31:6). In an ethical sense, one can guard his mouth (Ps 141:3; Pr 13:3), his path in life (pr 16:17), his heart (Pr 4:23)...and his tongue (Ps 34:13). The idea of faithfully keeping a covenant is prominent (Ex 34:7; Dt 33:9; Ps 25:10; 1192ff.). The Israelites were urged to observe the commands of parents (Pr 6:20) and the discipline of wisdom (Pr 3:21; 4:13; 5:2). Israel was likened to a vineyard and the Lord served as he keeper (Job 7:20)."

The word for perfect peace is Salom meaning: "to be safe, be complete. Health, security, tranquility (Job 21:9) welfare...success, comfort, peace...the opposite of war.

(Let me just add about the health part being part of perfect peace. I believe that is mainly speaking about health down in your bones if you know what I mean. Like rest from sin's consequences. For example when you are wigging out in sin and you have the Holy Spirit you should not have peace about the state you are in if you have tasted and seen that the Lord is good. I know first hand that when I am living in habitual sin I have complete unrest in my Spirit. See Psalm 51 and Psalm 32 ).

...him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in you.

The word for trusts here is batah meaning:
"to attach oneself, trust, confide in, feel safe, be confident, secure. The basic idea signifies firmness or solidity. Denotes a confident expectation. The folly of relying upon any other type of security is strongly contrasted with depending on God alone (1 Ch 5:20; Ps 22:4; 31:14; 33:21; Isa 26:3; 30:12; Jer 17:7). The Septuagint uses elpizo...to hope, to translate this word."

Please just stop to picture this. He will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in the Lord. I love the definition used above meaning to trust. We will never feel like trusting so we are going to have to be firm and solidify our decision to take God at His word. I am horrified at the times I have doubted God and gone my own way and lived completely based on feelings. I have experienced grave consequences as a result of my own foolishness. We will never obey out of feelings or without a firm resolve to stick to the truth. It is my constant prayer that the Lord would give me more of the Spirit and that I would live and walk in truth. Going outside of God's word to meet my selfish needs has always meant devestating results ultimately. To trust in Him I will confide in Him (prayer), attach myself to Him...I love the way that word is pictured in attaching ourselves to Him. I can picture a little girl living in the shadow of her daddy and not leaving His side. When I lose focus and allow sin to take permanence in my life I begin to doubt and all manner of insecurities begin to manifest themselves in me. I lose my footing so to speak. But when I am focused on Him through prayer and the Word and living in step with the Spirit I am secure and I see evidence of the One that I continually put my trust in. When we rely on other security besides God it will ultimately result in us turning from God to something else...which is an idol.

So are you lacking peace? Look at your life. Is there sin that needs to be renounced? Has Gods word lost first place in your heart? Return to Him, beg for Him to make you right and beg Him for the help to live and abide in Him...that is His will for us. He will not resist your cry. Your circumstances may not change...but by focusing your energy on Him...He will change you. He will make you okay as you seek to know Him. I know that first hand!


(The quotes here are taken from the OT Lexical aids of my Key Word Study bible, Spiros Zodhiates)