Skip to main content

Steadfastness and

             You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. (Isaiah 26:3)

If you’re in Erie, you know that if the lake is on your right, you’re facing west. If you know the night sky well enough, you can follow the handle of the Big Dipper to the North Star and know which way is north. If you keep track of where the lake is or where the North Star is, you’ll be at peace, at least as far as your directions. Without a doubt, no matter where you live, there are means by which you can at least estimate directions. We tend to have a similar ease with a range of numbers. You’re unlikely to wonder whether two plus two will equal four this time.

Similarly, there are people with whom we are at perfect peace. We may not approve of or agree with what they do, but you have no doubt that they will continue to consistently do something. It might be that your confidence is in their continuing to breath, or turning right on red without stopping, arriving early/late, or saying something offensive about something. If someone doesn’t act as we expect, we have a crisis, whether minor or major.

The same is true with God. If we settle in our minds that He is as trustworthy as the North Star or two plus two equals four, we will know perfect peace, even if things aren’t peaceful. This isn’t magical, it’s simple psychology. When your mind is made up and focused on truth, there’s peace.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Think About These Things

                 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8) This passage is a major challenge for me. Like everyone else, I struggle to keep my thoughts from wandering off into the weeds, then wondering what possible benefits those weeds might have… Sigh. But as a writer, I have to delve at least a little into the ignoble, wrong, impure, unlovely, and debased. After all, there’s no story if everything’s just as it should be and everyone’s happy. As Christians, there are times when we need to deal with all the negatives, but that makes it even more important that we practice turning our minds by force of attention to what is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. It’s just too easy to get stuck in a swamp. With my...
1 comment
Read more

Higher Thoughts

  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the  Lord . “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)           The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments,   for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord      so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (I Corinthians 2:15-16) If you read about the ancient gods of the various peoples, you’ll find that they think just like people. In fact, they think just like the sort of people we really wouldn’t want to be around. They think like the most corrupt Hollywood producer or, like hormone overloaded teens with no upbringing.   It’s embarrassing to read. I have a friend who argues that because God is not just like us, He is so vastly dif...
2 comments
Read more

Pure...

            The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. (I Timothy 1:5)   I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16) I’m probably cheating - or mishandling the Bible, but earlier I was thinking about love being pure and purifying. And hatred being pure and purifying. And anger…joy…patience… fear… jealousy… courage…lust… and other strongly felt feelings, attitudes, and beliefs. Today’s verse brings purity and love together, so it’s the verse of the day, but it’s not really the focus. That means my motive for sharing it with you probably isn’t pure. As you read through my list, you   probably thought, “Yeah” about some, and “What’s she on?” about others. But consider how much hatred, a...
Post a Comment
Read more