Stayed on Him

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” (Isaiah 26:3)

Good morning, my friend.

I have heard this verse quoted thousands of times over my Christian lifetime and it always challenges me to do better. I had a two and-and-a-half hour conversation with a friend last night (until almost three in the morning) who is struggling to maintain her sanity. She has allowed herself to get caught up (as so many around us have) in all the media hype and the social media frenzy around what’s going on in the world. It seems in the past year or so our world has started spinning wildly out of control and no one can put their finger on any one reason. Any subject you want to address has gotten ratcheted up to fever pitch. An invisible nest of hornets has been released into the atmosphere and we are all subject to being stung by them.

Earlier in the evening, I spoke at length with a guest at my hotel. He is only a few years younger than me, so we could relate to a lot of common things in our childhoods and younger years. We were recalling when teenagers used to cruise Maine Street here in Quincy, we talked about stores that used to be downtown, we talked about the amusement part that used to be a part of our community, and how things were so much slower back then and simple. We were just two old men remembering. But that got me thinking about this verse.

Isaiah is telling us some very important information here in this verse about how we should live our lives. Everyone says they want peace. That seems to be a big topic of discussion nowadays. Peace in the Middle East, peace in our nation, peace in our communities and cities, peace in our homes, peace in our own minds. We are exhausted all the time – just from the chaotic environment in which we all live. Yet, no one wants to be the initiator of that peace. Although we say we want it, we seem unwilling (or unaware) to pay the price for it. And what is that price?

The prophet lays it out very clearly: having our mind stayed on God (as Christians, more specifically on Christ). The first thing we need to do is stop everything and drop anchor. When a ship is out at sea and a storm is approaching from which they can’t escape, I’m told they seek a place to drop anchor. They need to have a safe place, an immoveable position, in which they can ride out the storm. The anchor provides stability, it provides the ability to hold position until the storm is past. Oh sure, there may be damage caused to the ship from the winds and waves; however, it is the safest choice for them. Hunker down and ride it out. Or, as my country fathers and grandfathers used to say, “Batten down the hatches.”

Having our minds stayed on Christ is more than just an intellectual exercise. It’s more than just quoting a scripture now and again, or listening to a preacher, or thinking about Jesus whenever we have nothing else roaring in our minds. Having our minds stayed upon Christ means that we have established Him as our foundation, He is our Anchor, our Rock, the Hollow in the Rock in which we hide. Jesus must be the first and foremost, the predominent piece of our lives if we are to survive the hell that is raging around us. The decisions we make, the choices we make, the actions we take must all be done with Him in mind. Years ago there was a fad that spread around the world in which we were encouraged to ask ourselves “What Would Jesus Do?”. Even though it was just a passing fad, it made an impact on us – even for a few weeks or months. It caused us to stop long enough to at least look at our bracelet or necklace (WWJD) before we proceeded. That should, actually, be permanently branded into our minds. Under the direction and power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus approached situations WAY different than how I see brothers and sisters doing it now.

Although we now have the Internet, electricity, automobiles, airplanes, television, etc, the world has really not changed that much in all of man’s history on this planet. Good is still good, evil is still evil, God is still God, and mankind is still prone to sin. You and me included. That is why it is SO IMPORTANT that we spend time in scripture and prayer. That’s why it’s important that we gather together with other like-minded believers regularly. That’s why we need to learn to hear the voice of God speaking within our spirits – to know how we should walk and act.

Not only are our minds to be stayed on Christ, but our spirit must be settled. It is one thing to be a squatter on a piece of property. It is something else altogether to be the property owner. I’m not talking about physical property in this case. It is one thing to temporarily accept and acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God and that God can do anything He wants because … well, He is God! That is a short-term, temporary, very fragile existence – to just merely, mentally accept and acknowledge these things. It is something else entirely to settle into that place of thinking and believing, to settle our lives onto that solid foundation, and begin to build our lives around those elementary, foundational beliefs.

This verse speaks of the building-blocks of a life of peace (of completeness, of wholeness, of favor). First we must establish what we believe. To do that, we must read the will and testament of God – we have to know about Him. Secondly, we need to determine whether we can mentally ascend to that knowledge – that He Is Who He says He Is. Having decided to follow after Him, we begin to slowly learn to trust Him, to “try” Him (if you will) in order to build a foundation of trust. Once we have discovered that He is faithful and true, that He will never leave us nor forsake us, that He is for us and not against us, we can then start building a fortress for ourselves, our families, and our loved ones. The Name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run into it and they are saved. Sounds like a catchy little chorus we also used to sing in church.

Only after these steps have been taken will God keep you and me in perfect peace. We cannot have peace if we still look to our jobs as our source. We can never have peace if we completely and only trust the medical professionals for the care of our health. I can wholeheartedly assure you that you will never have peace if you look to your friends and family for emotional and spiritual support and comfort. All these, plus many, many others, will let you and me down – just like we often let others down. Look to Jesus, the Author and the Finisher of our faith. Look to the One Who died that you might live. May today be a day of building and assurance for you, my friend.

Be blessed.