Much of the Bible focuses on the mind (heart) of the believer. The Psalmist tells us, “While he was musing the fire burned” in Psalm 39:3. Muse means to ponder, to think, to meditate. Romans 12:2 tells us to “renew our minds.” The Proverbs tell us “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…” (23:7). How you think is always the first step in getting to the right place. The verse that has been on my mind this morning is Isaiah 26:3. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” People everywhere long for peace and contentment and few truly find it.

Let me share with you a story and then we will come back to our verse. There was a great man that led millions of people for four decades. He led them from a country where they had been enslaved. Their ancestors had been slaves for hundreds of years. Now they were free, and he told them about a place where they could be happy and free. The description from the Bible about this land is beautiful. It was a picture about a land flowing with milk and honey. By now you have figured out this man was Moses. He was their leader for forty years. The Israelites had ups and downs, most of the older people died, but they were in the land of Moab knocking on the door to the Promise Land. Moses preached and taught to them the book of Deuteronomy, the second telling, then he left them and walked up Mt. Pisgah. He had done this before, so they were not concerned. But then Joshua, his assistant, receives word from the Lord, “Moses my servant is dead.” Can you imagine the angst in the heart of Joshua? The Lord tells him in Joshua chapter 1 if you want to have success then do not let the law depart from your mouth and meditate on the word day and night. Observe or practice what these words say, and everything will be wonderful. Now back to Isaiah 26:3. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

  1. There is a promise from God for Peace. If you notice the first little phrase you will see the promise. One of the beautiful words I hope you will not overlook is the word “perfect.” The peace God will give to us is complete, lacking nothing. In the past few days, I have been a part or at three funerals. Thank God each of these saints were Christian. I said to one of the families that “Christians die better.” That is truism, especially for those that have done the second part of this verse.
  2. There is a condition for this Peace. “Whose mind is stayed on thee.” The mind of the Christian ought to be steadfast, committed and focused on the Lord. How does this happen? Day by day, step by step. Our minds are renewed when they are flushed daily with the Word of God. We read, stop, and meditate on what we have read, and we do this consistently in our daily devotions. Let me offer you a challenge. Make the commitment to read your Bible and think about what you just read for fifteen minutes, a day, for the next month. Keep a journal of your reading. Write the thoughts the Lord gives you during these fifteen minutes of quiet time with the Lord. I will bet you a dollar to a doughnut that these 30 days will have made your life better with more peace in your soul. Imagine if that habit is multiplied into months and then into years. That is a huge WOW factor. That is called growing, maturing in the Lord. Let me share with you one final thought today.
  3. When we practice this, it is Proof that we Trust God. I preached this past Wednesday on Trust, Trust and Trust Again. The ability to believe, to trust God, is an amazing thing. It produces a confidence that most people do not possess. Ultimately it will produce a life of character and integrity. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.” It all begins with the mind. We ponder, then we personalize it, then we practice it and then peace arrives. May we all think right and means think biblically.