Isaiah 26:3

NASB	NLT	VOICE
3 The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.	3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!	3 You will keep the peace, a perfect peace, for all who trust in You, for those who dedicate their hearts and minds to You.

Perfect Peace through Presence

The Hebrew term for a perfect peace is a repetition that shows completeness and an absolute peace. Peace is a covenantal blessing from God, connected to His presence. To fix your thoughts on God means to lean or rest both your thoughts and intentions on God through reliance. This is a spiritual and mental discipline. To experience His peace, we need to start trusting Him. It’s not a passive activity, but it’s active and ongoing. Trusting God is shown as our source of strength and security. In Isaiah, there were many times of political turmoil and uncertainty. This trust is ultimately fulfilled through Jesus, who embodies God’s perfect peace and calls us to trust in Him.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: God’s perfect peace is connected to His presence. How do you find time to be in His presence?

Three ways that I’ve seen success in my life about how to strengthen your trust in God. I will admit – I am not perfect in these practices. I am not consistent in these practices. I don’t always do these practices when I should. However, I know when these things are strong in my life – I find more peace, and less anxiety.

First, engage in regular prayer. Prayer doesn’t have to be a grand, theatrical performance. Prayer doesn’t have to be a script to recite. Prayer is a conversation that happens with God. Prayer is sharing the celebrations, the anger, and the grief all in one sentence. Prayer is dropping the mask that we put to the world and becoming vulnerable to the One that created us and sees us. The key part is to remember that prayer is a conversation. We can share everything, but we also need to take time to be quiet. To listen for that still small voice. Not the voices that scream at you, berate you, yell loud towards you. God has a still small voice. God’s voice is clear and stands out among the rest. God doesn’t have to yell. Why? Because He is close.

Second, study your Bible. Now, I have the luxury of this blog to help with my Bible studying. It allows me to create new creations and questions, research the patterns between the Old and New Testament, and to see what it means to apply it to our lives today. However, I also use multiple studies in my Bible App, listen to sermons from Life.Church, Elevation Church, and Transformation Church, listen to the BibleProject podcast, and listen to the news through The Pour Over. When I’m not engaged in that, I try to surround myself in worship music. I don’t say this to brag. I say this because I need to be always surrounded by the word of God. When I’m not, my own thoughts creep in. My own anxieties get loud. When I keep my ears full of God’s teachings, the evil forces of the worlds get tuned out.

Third, surround yourself with a community of believers that encourage and support you. Notice the caveats with this: surround yourself with a community of believers that encourage and support you. I worked in the church for over a decade. I’ve seen the church succeed in walking with people through tough times and difficult decisions. I’ve seen the church fail in comforting people and listening to their concerns. I’ve seen people walk in and away from the church. Finding a group of believers that encourage and support you is so crucial to help you overcome any struggle that the church will have. They can help you out when everything looks bleak. They can encourage you when you’re overwhelmed. Even non-believers can do this. When I was fired as a Youth Director, and walked away as a Secretary/Treasurer, being in the church has been hard. Finding that same spark has been a struggle. However, I found a community that encourages and supports me. Some Christians and some not. Some believe in different religions and spiritual practices. I’ve talked about how non-believers doing the acts of Christ count as much as believers doing it. The focus needs to be on loving others, meeting their needs, and caring for each other. Allow our actions to reflect our hearts, and if we need to – share God. Our actions should be the reflection of God.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: Which do you need to improve at: prayer, studying your Bible, or being in community with believers?

PRAY Action

Praise God for His perfect peace. Praise God for His presence, and the relationship that is built through our time with Him.

Read Numbers 6:24-26

Ask God for strength to find quiet moments. Ask God the ability to crawl into his presence and talk.

You are worthy of the blessings of God. You are not too far gone for God to use you in the way you were created.

Next slice of manna: Finding Gratitude Through Struggles || Colossians 3:15 || Manna for the Mind #336