Monday, August 18, 2008

Isaiah 26:1-4, 12

Isaiah 26:1-4, 12 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; God makes salvation its walls and ramparts. Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith. 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. ...LORD, You establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished You have done for us.

Peace; not just peace, but perfect peace. I don’t know about you, but perfect peace sounds really good to me. Unfortunately, perfect peace also sounds really far off. OK, so how do I get perfect peace? A steadfast mind. HA! My mind is anything but steadfast. My mind is subject to the ebb and flow of emotions, of illness, of my own sin nature. How in the world can I keep a steadfast mind? Because he trusts in You. My trust in God is not too terribly steadfast either. I want to trust completely, I want to trust in every circumstance, but let’s be honest here. If I did trust completely I would not run ahead of God, I would not worry about the future, I would walk the Christian life with outspoken courage. Trust in the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal. Ah, here is the key. I don’t trust in my own ability to trust in the Lord, but I trust in the Lord Himself. LORD, You establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished You have done for us. In the end it is God Himself who gives me peace. He is the Rock that cannot be swayed or moved, He is Eternal and Forever. Only He can keep me, only through the power of His own indwelling Spirit can I trust Him at all.

LORD, thank you that my trust in You does not depend on my own feeble strength, on my own sinful mind, on my own ability to trust and believe. I believe, help my unbelief. I trust, help my distrust. Only You are capable of keeping me, of holding me. Set me on the Rock Eternal. Keep me on the Rock Eternal.

Rebecca A Givens, 8/2008

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