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Isaiah 26:1-4 (NKJV) 1In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; God will appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks. 2Open the gates, That the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in. 3You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.4Trust in the Lord forever, For in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength.
During the ‘Virus of 2020’, this scripture holds a several levels of truth for our nation and for us as individuals. Let’s look at it and see how we can maintain an aura of real peace in these troubled times.
In Hebrew verse 3 would read this way: ‘The steadfast of mind you will keep in perfect peace because he trusts in you’.
Nearly everyone says that they want peace. However people have very different views on what that means. For example, for people in power, (the rich, the ruling class), peace means that they maintain the ‘status quo’ without fear of revolution or change. But those who are in need there is no peace because they can see that what they need is out of their reach. Two people can go through the same period in history with differing views. One is at peace, but the other is ready for war.
Therefore, we need to define peace from God’s perspective. Otherwise we will always be searching for something that may be right in front of us all along.
Notice where Isaiah says that this peace comes from. It comes from GOD, not the person who so badly needs it. We cannot really ‘find peace’. We need to go to the source of real peace and ask and obtain it from Him.
How does God know that you need peace? He knows because of what is in, (or on), your mind. Your mind must be fixated on Him as opposed to the thing(s) that are robbing you of peace.
Before we go any further let’s look at the Hebrew words that Isaiah used.
‘The steadfast are those who lean, lay, rest, and receive support, (from something, or someone)’.
Of course, Isaiah is talking about those who lean on GOD. Leaning on God is a position of your mindset. For example, I can focus on the daily news, (whether it is good or bad from my perspective), or I can lean on God who never changes. A person who looks at life from this perspective becomes a candidate to receive real peace from God.
I have a question for you. Who or what are you really leaning on today?
He gives peace to those who trust in Him. The Hebrew word here means to have confidence in something or someone. To be bold in your trust. To be careless about any situation because after all my confidence is in God, not my chances of avoiding trouble or conflict. Trust is a faith word. It is faith in God’s ability to take me through something if He chooses not to keep me from it.
Maturity in God goes far beyond hoping that something bad never happens to you. When I really trust God, I know that He is the God that goes with me into the flaming furnace, or the flood. He is in control, and I am really ok with that. So he gives me peace.
So what is this peace that Isaiah is referring to? The Hebrew word means completeness, soundness, and welfare. (Sounds like ‘shalom’ to me). Peace is safety and soundness. Peace is prosperity, tranquility, and health. Peace refers to the covenant relationship that we have with GOD. The word also means that our human relationships are affected because of our relationship with God.
I had to give you some Hebrew words so that you can see that the PEACE of God is everything we need!
Peace and trust go hand in hand. If we want to weather the storms of life we need to make sure that our mind does not become affected by our circumstances. Because our minds are permanently fixed on Him, He gives us a more than ample supply of the real peace that we need to go through.
It’s like the song says;
‘Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.’
Receive the peace of God today, in Jesus Name!
Bishop Horace Ransom Jr.
Senior Pastor, Board of Directors
Bishop Horace Ransom Jr. is the Senior Pastor and Founder of New Covenant Church International in Detroit, Michigan. He is a Jurisdictional Bishop and serves on the Board of Presbytery for the Jabula International Network, North America. Bishop Ransom is an outstanding teacher of the Word of God with a passion for challenging believers to become the best that they can be. Faith, Purpose and the Kingdom of God are frequently the subject matter of his dissertation.
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