What comes to mind when you see the word anxiety? Are you inundated with worries about your future? Your finances? Your friend group? Do you think of a particular situation that plagues your thoughts? Do you just breeze past that weight, suppressing another worry for another day?
Many of us can relate to these feelings, whether amplified in a moment or plaguing our day to day. Maybe for you the title of today’s teaching summarizes the very question you keep asking: is peace even possible? Let’s look to scripture.
Summary
“You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.”
Isaiah 26:3-4
To see the path forward, we need to look back. At the opening of chapter 24, the prophet Isaiah is depicting the incoming judgment facing the earth.
“The wasted city is broken down;
every house is shut up so that none can enter.
There is an outcry in the streets for lack of wine;
all joy has grown dark;
the gladness of the earth is banished.
Desolation is left in the city;
the gates are battered into ruins.
For thus it shall be in the midst of the earth
among the nations,
as when an olive tree is beaten,
as at the gleaning when the grape harvest is done.”
Isaiah 24:10-13
Pay attention to the language here—broken down, outcry, desolation—these words feel dramatic until you have been in a place where it felt as though all was lost.
Isaiah parallels this city to the one referenced in chapter 26. In verse 1, we see a different depiction, one of strength and welfare. When we turn the page in our bible back a chapter, we see why.
“On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
And he will swallow up on this mountain
the covering that is cast over all peoples,
the veil that is spread over all nations.
He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
Isaiah 25:6-9
How is this possible? How did the city move from desolation to peace? The King entered the scene. Peace doesn’t come from the absence of hard things, it comes from the presence of the King of Kings.
Look to Philippians 4:6-7
“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
And Psalm 55:22
“Cast your burden on the Lord,
and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
the righteous to be moved.”
And Jesus’ words in John 14:27
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
The peace you are promised in Christ comes from His presence. That doesn’t mean we are off the hook; today’s text provides us with an action and an outcome that lead us to experience the peace we are promised.
Action: Put Your Mind on Christ and Trust Him
“You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.”
Isaiah 26:3
Practically, we put our mind on Christ by taking inventory of what is currently in our minds. As you evaluate, ask:
Does what I am thinking about or dwelling on help me set my mind on Christ?
Are my thoughts aligned with, or an opposite agent, of what I know to be true in Christ?
Carefully evaluate what thoughts you are allowing to take up space, and begin clearing out the ones you need to let go of. This action will lead to an outcome.
Outcome: Peace and Security
“Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.”
Isaiah 26:4
In the midst of whatever you are facing, peace and security are available to you.
How do we live these verses out? We actively set our mind on Christ and we receive the peace He promised us. Life is not perfect. Hard days happen. Things will fall apart. But perfect peace is available to you today in the midst of it all.
What's Next?
How does the juxtaposition of the two cities in Isaiah chapters 24 and 26 illustrate the transformative power of faith and trust in God?
In what ways can you practice setting your mind on Christ? List out some practical steps you can take this week.
Think about the metaphor of a security guard or bouncer being used to describe how we should evaluate what enters our minds. Can you think of specific examples or strategies that might help in guarding and filtering your thoughts?
What do you understand about the relationship between trust in God and experiencing peace?
Scripture References
14.But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15.and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16.All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17.so that the servant of God3:17 Or that you, a man of God, may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
12.For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
14.For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
9.Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
28.And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who8:28 Or that all things work together for good to those who love God, who; or that in all things God works together with those who love him to bring about what is good—with those who have been called according to his purpose.
16.But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.
11.For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12.Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13.You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14.I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.29:14 Or will restore your fortunes I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”
2.in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. 3.So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.4.I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:“Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments,
28.And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who8:28 Or that all things work together for good to those who love God, who; or that in all things God works together with those who love him to bring about what is good—with those who have been called according to his purpose. 29.For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30.And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
10.For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
27.So God created mankind in his own image,in the image of God he created them;male and female he created them.
15.And I will put enmitybetween you and the woman,and between your offspring3:15 Or seed and hers;he will crush3:15 Or strike your head,and you will strike his heel.”
16.Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
1.As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2.in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3.All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh2:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit. and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4.But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5.made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6.And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7.in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8.For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9.not by works, so that no one can boast. 10.For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
3.You will keep in perfect peacethose whose minds are steadfast,because they trust in you.4.Trust in the Lord forever,for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.
10.The ruined city lies desolate;the entrance to every house is barred.11.In the streets they cry out for wine;all joy turns to gloom,all joyful sounds are banished from the earth.12.The city is left in ruins,its gate is battered to pieces.13.So will it be on the earthand among the nations,as when an olive tree is beaten,or as when gleanings are left after the grape harvest.
6.On this mountain the Lord Almighty will preparea feast of rich food for all peoples,a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines.7.On this mountain he will destroythe shroud that enfolds all peoples,the sheet that covers all nations;8.he will swallow up death forever.The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tearsfrom all faces;he will remove his people’s disgracefrom all the earth.The Lord has spoken.9.In that day they will say,“Surely this is our God;we trusted in him, and he saved us.This is the Lord, we trusted in him;let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”
6.Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7.And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
22.Cast your cares on the Lordand he will sustain you;he will never letthe righteous be shaken.
27.Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Psalm 3737 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the stanzas of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.Of David.1.Do not fret because of those who are evilor be envious of those who do wrong;2.for like the grass they will soon wither,like green plants they will soon die away.3.Trust in the Lord and do good;dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.4.Take delight in the Lord,and he will give you the desires of your heart.5.Commit your way to the Lord;trust in him and he will do this:6.He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,your vindication like the noonday sun.7.Be still before the Lordand wait patiently for him;do not fret when people succeed in their ways,when they carry out their wicked schemes.8.Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;do not fret—it leads only to evil.9.For those who are evil will be destroyed,but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.10.A little while, and the wicked will be no more;though you look for them, they will not be found.11.But the meek will inherit the landand enjoy peace and prosperity.12.The wicked plot against the righteousand gnash their teeth at them;13.but the Lord laughs at the wicked,for he knows their day is coming.14.The wicked draw the swordand bend the bowto bring down the poor and needy,to slay those whose ways are upright.15.But their swords will pierce their own hearts,and their bows will be broken.16.Better the little that the righteous havethan the wealth of many wicked;17.for the power of the wicked will be broken,but the Lord upholds the righteous.18.The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,and their inheritance will endure forever.19.In times of disaster they will not wither;in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.20.But the wicked will perish:Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.21.The wicked borrow and do not repay,but the righteous give generously;22.those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,but those he curses will be destroyed.23.The Lord makes firm the stepsof the one who delights in him;24.though he may stumble, he will not fall,for the Lord upholds him with his hand.25.I was young and now I am old,yet I have never seen the righteous forsakenor their children begging bread.26.They are always generous and lend freely;their children will be a blessing.37:26 Or freely; / the names of their children will be used in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or freely; / others will see that their children are blessed27.Turn from evil and do good;then you will dwell in the land forever.28.For the Lord loves the justand will not forsake his faithful ones.Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed37:28 See Septuagint; Hebrew They will be protected forever;the offspring of the wicked will perish.29.The righteous will inherit the landand dwell in it forever.30.The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,and their tongues speak what is just.31.The law of their God is in their hearts;their feet do not slip.32.The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,intent on putting them to death;33.but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wickedor let them be condemned when brought to trial.34.Hope in the Lordand keep his way.He will exalt you to inherit the land;when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.35.I have seen a wicked and ruthless manflourishing like a luxuriant native tree,36.but he soon passed away and was no more;though I looked for him, he could not be found.37.Consider the blameless, observe the upright;a future awaits those who seek peace.37:37 Or upright; / those who seek peace will have posterity38.But all sinners will be destroyed;there will be no future37:38 Or posterity for the wicked.39.The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;he is their stronghold in time of trouble.40.The Lord helps them and delivers them;he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,because they take refuge in him.
4.May he give you the desire of your heartand make all your plans succeed.
7.“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.8.For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
14.This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15.And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
2.“Meaningless! Meaningless!”says the Teacher.“Utterly meaningless!Everything is meaningless.”3.What do people gain from all their laborsat which they toil under the sun?
1.Blessed is the onewho does not walk in step with the wickedor stand in the way that sinners takeor sit in the company of mockers,2.but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,and who meditates on his law day and night.3.That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,which yields its fruit in seasonand whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.
41.He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42.“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
97.Oh, how I love your law!I meditate on it all day long.98.Your commands are always with meand make me wiser than my enemies.99.I have more insight than all my teachers,for I meditate on your statutes.100.I have more understanding than the elders,for I obey your precepts.101.I have kept my feet from every evil pathso that I might obey your word.102.I have not departed from your laws,for you yourself have taught me.103.How sweet are your words to my taste,sweeter than honey to my mouth!104.I gain understanding from your precepts;therefore I hate every wrong path.