Peace, Peace
"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock." Isaiah 26:3, 4
I like Little Caesar’s Pizza. It’s not so much because it’s the best pizza that I’ve ever tasted (though I like it). It’s more because I can run by and pick up a couple of pies on the way home; it’s convenient and doesn’t cost me much.
I remember when the chain really became popular years ago. The “Pizza! Pizza!” slogan was huge. It was a great new concept. Buy one pizza; get the second one free. They used to come in long, thin, white bags on a sheet of cardboard. You don’t get the second pizza for free any more, but they are still less expensive than most and pretty tasty.
The promise in Isaiah 26 that I quoted earlier is that those who are stayed on God; who keep their trust completely in the Lord will experience “peace peace.” The word is literally repeated twice in a row. That’s how the Hebrew language emphasized the peace. It’s not just peace. It’s not just real peace. It’s not even great peace. It is peace so complete that the word has to be repeated twice to get the point across.
The world we live in is full of turmoil. Your personal world is busy almost to the point of exhaustion sometimes. The issues you are dealing with are nearly overwhelming. I know the feeling. We face stresses and struggles in life. We find ourselves out of breath at the end of the day, wondering how we got ourselves into the situation we are in and still stewing when we head off to bed at night.
How do we keep ourselves "stayed" on God? I think it's primarily a matter of focus and determined trust. We place all of our confidence in Him as you face the overwhelming situation we are in. We step out on faith and allow Him to guide us through the difficulties and uncertainty.
The fourth verse supports that challenge. Perpetual trust in the LORD is valid because the LORD is an eternal rock (place of complete, immovable strength). Unlike our tendency to get caught up in the moment and lose perspective, God is eternal and has all the strength and stability that is necessary for us to enjoy peace in the present. The language in this section pictures a person who is leaning and resting completely on the rock that gives them security and support.
Are you uncertain of the future? Stand on the rock. Are you unsure of the very next step? Stand still on the rock. Are you concerned that you can’t see the road ahead? Stand up on the rock. Feeling like you’ve been battered around by life? Lie down and rest on the rock. I like the praise song from a few years ago entitled “Rock of Ages” by Rita Baloche.
Let's remember to climb back up on the rock today. Not only are we secure and safe there; the perspective is better too.
I like Little Caesar’s Pizza. It’s not so much because it’s the best pizza that I’ve ever tasted (though I like it). It’s more because I can run by and pick up a couple of pies on the way home; it’s convenient and doesn’t cost me much.
I remember when the chain really became popular years ago. The “Pizza! Pizza!” slogan was huge. It was a great new concept. Buy one pizza; get the second one free. They used to come in long, thin, white bags on a sheet of cardboard. You don’t get the second pizza for free any more, but they are still less expensive than most and pretty tasty.
The promise in Isaiah 26 that I quoted earlier is that those who are stayed on God; who keep their trust completely in the Lord will experience “peace peace.” The word is literally repeated twice in a row. That’s how the Hebrew language emphasized the peace. It’s not just peace. It’s not just real peace. It’s not even great peace. It is peace so complete that the word has to be repeated twice to get the point across.
The world we live in is full of turmoil. Your personal world is busy almost to the point of exhaustion sometimes. The issues you are dealing with are nearly overwhelming. I know the feeling. We face stresses and struggles in life. We find ourselves out of breath at the end of the day, wondering how we got ourselves into the situation we are in and still stewing when we head off to bed at night.
How do we keep ourselves "stayed" on God? I think it's primarily a matter of focus and determined trust. We place all of our confidence in Him as you face the overwhelming situation we are in. We step out on faith and allow Him to guide us through the difficulties and uncertainty.
The fourth verse supports that challenge. Perpetual trust in the LORD is valid because the LORD is an eternal rock (place of complete, immovable strength). Unlike our tendency to get caught up in the moment and lose perspective, God is eternal and has all the strength and stability that is necessary for us to enjoy peace in the present. The language in this section pictures a person who is leaning and resting completely on the rock that gives them security and support.
Are you uncertain of the future? Stand on the rock. Are you unsure of the very next step? Stand still on the rock. Are you concerned that you can’t see the road ahead? Stand up on the rock. Feeling like you’ve been battered around by life? Lie down and rest on the rock. I like the praise song from a few years ago entitled “Rock of Ages” by Rita Baloche.
There is no rock;
there is no rock like our God.
No other name, worthy
of all our praise.
The rock of salvation
that cannot be moved;
He’s proven Himself
to be faithful and true.
There is no rock; there is no god like ours.
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