LifeLink Devotional

Friday, October 25, 2019

When I study God’s Word, one of my favorite things to do is to try to comprehend the richness of the vocabulary. Even though I never took any Greek or Hebrew classes in college, I love using the tools that are available to us today to uncover the treasures that are buried in the meanings of words. I did that this morning as I read the twenty-sixth chapter of Isaiah, especially focusing on verses three and four.

Isaiah 26:3-4  You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.

Here’s what I discovered:

• You will keep…the word keep means that God stands guard over our lives and watches everything about us to preserve and protect us. In the very next chapter Isaiah writes,

I, the LORD, watch over it; I water it continually. I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it.

The Lord God is watching over us and guarding our lives. He is keeping us. Just like in the New Testament where Peter writes that we are kept by the power of God unto salvation.

• In perfect peace…The Hebrew word here means much more than a state of mind. It involves completeness of mind, body and soul. It refers to health and financial provision. It relates to trustworthy relationships with God and with other people. It refers to safety from danger and protection from harm.

Even when God tests us and we go through trials of life, we can be assured that He will bring us to perfect peace if we completely trust Him.

• Whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts…the word mind is interesting. It refers to a form or a framework. It is the word used of man when he is created by God from the dust of the earth and given a form. In addition to the physical framework of our life, it also refers to the intellectual framework of ideas. All our thoughts are to be within the framework of God’s holiness and purpose. God has a framework for our lives, both physically and intellectually. We will be steadfast within that framework.

Steadfast means to lean on, be supported by, and be refreshed. God’s framework for our lives is to absolutely trust Him. We are to be sustained by faith. When our thoughts and activities are within that framework called God’s will, and we trust it completely to sustain every part of our lives, then we will be at perfect peace.

Word studies encourage me. There is a deep treasure mine of spiritual understanding and strength that comes from studying God’s Word like this.

It helps me to declare with Isaiah that “the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal and we can trust Him forever.”

Pastor John