Today’s scripture: Isaiah 26:1-21 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (David Zier):
Isaiah 26 is written as a song sung in Judah. It is referred to as Judah’s Song of Victory (NRSV) or Song of Trust in God’s Protection (Amplified Bible).
I can identify with this verse as a song of God’s protection. All of the medical issues I have dealt with the last five years have been tiring. I am at the point where nothing surprises me. There was a time where I hated going to the doctor. With a brain tumor in my past, who could blame me? Now, it is something I do all the time. Just another day.
Verse 3 really stood out for me, especially as written in the Amplified Bible.
“You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast [that is, committed and focused on You — in both inclination and character, Because he (she) trusts and takes refuge in You [with hope and confident expectation].”
As I think about how I spend my time each day, I spend more time in prayer, including short prayers throughout the day that help me practice the presence of God. I also set aside time for intentional prayer. I wish I had my own mountain top to walk and pray like Jesus did!
Last year when I got the news that I had Stage 1 heart failure, it was not pleasant to hear, but I did not react the way I would have 5 or 6 years ago. It’s just another thing to add to the list; ho hum. I have always exercised, so I increased my exercise time and made other changes.
Earlier this year, I find that one medication that has been modified over time was depleting my body of certain vitamins and minerals, and I received weekly shots to help overcome this until they changed the medication back to an extended release version to reduce the occurrence of the situation. (The extended release version is very costly, but good ole Walmart came through where other pharmacies would not.) I figured it would get corrected so we worked out the medication dosing and schedule to reduce what was occurring. Sure I went through periods where I did not feel very good, but it is what it is. My peace never left me.
Isaiah 26:3 provides much wisdom. The Amplified Bible’s translation gives it meaning that is relatable to situations in our lives today. If we keep focused on God, peace will fill us. Maybe not 100% right away. It is as if God is filling us with peace like water pouring into a glass. To me that peace represents God’s salvation. I can imagine that peace can save us from so much in life. Imagine your own situations, and how you would feel or react if you were filled with a peace that was more constant as you focus more on God!
I am by no means perfect, but I do think my experiences the last several years have shown me how Isaiah Verse 3 plays out in real life. This helps me to keep at it, and allows me to keep my focus more on God so that perfect and constant peace is at work and growing in my life. How we each allow God to fill us and how we keep our mind steadfast on God will differ for each of us. What is key is to explore and exercise the ways that work for you. Jesus tells us the many ways throughout the New Testament. Praying, serving and helping others, showing kindness and mercy, being a forgiving person, humility, blessing others…the list goes on and on. What will help you keep focused on God to help work toward perfect and constant peace.
Thought for the day: What will I do today to help keep my mind steadfast on God?
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.