“You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You." - Isaiah 26:3 Amplified Bible (AMP)
I like the Amplified Bible translation of this verse. It’s filled with positive words and phrases that are designed to give those living for God encouragement and hope. “Guard him – keep him – perfect and constant peace”. We need to let such things soak into our psyche*.
We see a conditional situation here. God will guard the individual and keep him perfectly and constantly at peace if his mind is focused on Him. While the word ‘if’ doesn’t appear in the scripture, it is implied with the phrase ‘whose mind is stayed on You …’ It could have easily been translated ‘if his mind is inclined toward You’, for God is not going to do those things for just anyone. He is going to do them for those whose mind is focused on Him, thus making it a conditional statement. God knows the heart of a man; therefore, He would absolutely know the inclination and character of any individual heart’s motivation. All this transpires because the individual is committed to God. He is relying on and hoping in Him who controls all things.
Why would a person lean so heavily on an unseen entity? Nothing can be proven, but rather is believed by faith. Even that which can be seen can deceive us, just like an oasis in a dry desert. As a matter of fact, that is exactly what life without God truly is; a dry, desolate, lifeless desert with no hope. Faith believes in the unseen as if it can be seen. Faith gives people hope. Faith is cool water in a dry and thirsty land. We believe in God by faith based on what the scriptures teach and add to that our own experiences as God fills our lives with answered prayers and blessings unseen to the naked eye. Some of the greatest gifts cannot be seen, but rather are felt within.
We are the beneficiaries of such a commitment to God, for His promises are ‘yea and amen’ (1 Corinthians 1:20). What He says He shall do; He shall do at the proper time and in the proper manner. We are never left standing uncovered out in the icy cold rain. God makes provision for us and sustains all who commit their way unto Him, lean on Him and place all their hope in Him. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.
Richard Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
* 'Psyche' is one of a group of words that come from Greek psukhē – ‘life, breath, soul'; defined in the Oxford Dictionary as ‘the human soul, mind, or spirit’.
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