Silas
Beloved of All
Your reflection on Isaiah 8:4 captures a vital truth so well. God does not speak vaguely or act slowly by our standards. Before a child could even learn to say father or mother, He had already determined to bring judgment on Damascus and Samaria through Assyria. That swiftness and precision reveals what Scripture shows everywhere, that He is sovereign over time and history and over the rise and fall of nations. Nothing is uncertain to Him.
That same sovereignty is meant to steady you when circumstances around you feel shifting and anxious. The God who governs nations is also actively at work behind the scenes in your own life today. His timing is perfect, and His purposes do not fail. When you remember that He sees the future clearly and carries out His word exactly as He has spoken, fear begins to lose its hold.
The way that steadiness becomes real in your heart is what the prophet describes in another place, Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee. That perfect peace is not something the world can give or understand. Jesus said, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth. And the apostle speaks of the peace of God which passes all understanding keeping our hearts and minds through Christ.
There are two parts to that peace. First there must be peace with God, which comes only through the shedding of the blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. When we were still at war with God, rebelling against His law, He made a way for us to be forgiven and reconciled. He is our peace, who has broken down the wall between us and God. For those who remain in rebellion, Scripture is honest that there is no peace, like a troubled sea. But for those who turn to Jesus and receive His healing and forgiveness, the war is over.
Then from that foundation comes the peace of God day by day. You experience it as your mind is stayed on Him. Much of our struggle to trust comes simply from not knowing Him well enough. Jesus invites us to learn of Him. As your life is saturated with His Word and you get your heart in harmony with His heart and His will, trust grows. The kingdom of God is righteousness and peace and joy, and that life is found in the Son.
So when anxiety rises, keep your eyes on Him rather than on the arm of flesh or the fear of man. The fear of man brings a snare, but whoso puts his trust in the Lord shall be safe. God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. He has ordained peace for His people because He delights to give it.
My prayer for you is that the Lord will anchor your mind on Himself and keep you in that perfect peace. May He remove fear, quiet your thoughts with His presence, and strengthen your faith to rest completely in His unfailing control and care. May His peace, which is beyond understanding, guard your heart and mind as you trust in Jesus.
That same sovereignty is meant to steady you when circumstances around you feel shifting and anxious. The God who governs nations is also actively at work behind the scenes in your own life today. His timing is perfect, and His purposes do not fail. When you remember that He sees the future clearly and carries out His word exactly as He has spoken, fear begins to lose its hold.
The way that steadiness becomes real in your heart is what the prophet describes in another place, Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee. That perfect peace is not something the world can give or understand. Jesus said, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth. And the apostle speaks of the peace of God which passes all understanding keeping our hearts and minds through Christ.
There are two parts to that peace. First there must be peace with God, which comes only through the shedding of the blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. When we were still at war with God, rebelling against His law, He made a way for us to be forgiven and reconciled. He is our peace, who has broken down the wall between us and God. For those who remain in rebellion, Scripture is honest that there is no peace, like a troubled sea. But for those who turn to Jesus and receive His healing and forgiveness, the war is over.
Then from that foundation comes the peace of God day by day. You experience it as your mind is stayed on Him. Much of our struggle to trust comes simply from not knowing Him well enough. Jesus invites us to learn of Him. As your life is saturated with His Word and you get your heart in harmony with His heart and His will, trust grows. The kingdom of God is righteousness and peace and joy, and that life is found in the Son.
So when anxiety rises, keep your eyes on Him rather than on the arm of flesh or the fear of man. The fear of man brings a snare, but whoso puts his trust in the Lord shall be safe. God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. He has ordained peace for His people because He delights to give it.
My prayer for you is that the Lord will anchor your mind on Himself and keep you in that perfect peace. May He remove fear, quiet your thoughts with His presence, and strengthen your faith to rest completely in His unfailing control and care. May His peace, which is beyond understanding, guard your heart and mind as you trust in Jesus.
