You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. (Isaiah 26:3)
We are living in troubled times. There’s chaos everywhere. People are living in fear of an uncertain future. The most dreaded word in this season is “quarantined!” Those infected with the deadly coronavirus are isolated to stop the spread. The ones not infected want to stay in isolation to avoid meeting an unknown “carrier.” There’s panic and fear everywhere!
Amid all this, how do we, the children of God react? Do we have to react the way the world reacts? We must be wise and take the health advisory seriously but does that mean we live in fear? The word of God says that our God gives us perfect peace. How can we have perfect peace amid panic? Isaiah 26:3 gives us two insights:
Let your mind stay on God: When faced with trouble, it is our mind that easily gets distracted. It is in our mind that we fight a lot of “invisible wars.” It takes conscious effort in training our mind to stay on God. Paul says, “… bringing every thought into captivity to obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5). It is a continuous exercise! The present continuous verb ‘bringing’ shows that it is an ongoing activity. Rom 12:2 teaches that it’s the renewing of our mind that brings transformation into our life.
Trust in God: Trust is a result of our faith in God. It is not a choice, but it is a call to believers! Psalms 62:8 says, “Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” When we trust in God as our refuge, He helps and delivers us (Psa. 37:40)
“In the midst of chaos, God gives peace to those who trust in Him.”
Let the chaos around us not shake our faith but help us stay close to God by trusting in Him. Yet in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Rom. 8:37). The key to bring healing into the land is in our hands. Let us humble ourselves, pray and seek God’s face by turning from ungodly ways so that God will hear us and heal our lands (2 Chr. 7:14).
Let us enjoy perfect peace in trouble because the One who gives peace is within us!