You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you. -Isaiah 26:3
There are few clearer invitations to holy mindfulness in all the Bible than this verse. Isaiah looks forward to a time when God fulfills every promise and reverse the brokenness caused by the curse of sin. Safe within the holy city and having been delivered from death itself, Isaiah projects a sweet peace for God’s people as they live fully mindful of God’s presence. It is an invitation to communion and connection with God that will still all the chaos and heal all the brokenness in our lives.
Isaiah seems very intentional in the wording of this verse. He declares that “You keep…” It is a reminder that if we seek peace for ourselves we will ultimately fail. The “perfect peace” Isaiah draws us to is a gift and a work done entirely by God. Too often we run from remedy to remedy after the peace that only God can give. We will not find our peace in relationship bliss. We will not find our peace in financial security. We will not find our peace in sacrifice and service. We will not find our peace in our mantras or our practices or our prayers. We will not find our peace in our therapy or our prescriptions. Our ultimate peace can only be received as a result of being intentionally present with God.
But Isaiah tells us that we don’t simply wait to receive this peace that only God can give. Isaiah tells us that this peace comes to those “whose mind is stayed on [God].” This is an invitation to make ourselves mindfully aware of God’s presence in every situation. By doing so we receive a peace that not only calms our chaos and resolves our anxieties, but it fills our lives with powerful purpose and meaning. We were made to receive and return the love of our creator. The more we are mindful of his presence in and around us, the more we connect with the deepest purpose for which we were created.
The more we can cultivate an active awareness of God’s presence, the more we will receive and live in his perfect peace. We can turn every emotion, sensation, and experience into an occasion for connection with God. Sitting in silence, taking a walk, actually tasting your food…each of these and ten-thousand other everyday events can be intentional occasions to connect with the God who is always present and too often ignored.
Isaiah seems very intentional in the wording of this verse. He declares that “You keep…” It is a reminder that if we seek peace for ourselves we will ultimately fail. The “perfect peace” Isaiah draws us to is a gift and a work done entirely by God. Too often we run from remedy to remedy after the peace that only God can give. We will not find our peace in relationship bliss. We will not find our peace in financial security. We will not find our peace in sacrifice and service. We will not find our peace in our mantras or our practices or our prayers. We will not find our peace in our therapy or our prescriptions. Our ultimate peace can only be received as a result of being intentionally present with God.
But Isaiah tells us that we don’t simply wait to receive this peace that only God can give. Isaiah tells us that this peace comes to those “whose mind is stayed on [God].” This is an invitation to make ourselves mindfully aware of God’s presence in every situation. By doing so we receive a peace that not only calms our chaos and resolves our anxieties, but it fills our lives with powerful purpose and meaning. We were made to receive and return the love of our creator. The more we are mindful of his presence in and around us, the more we connect with the deepest purpose for which we were created.
The more we can cultivate an active awareness of God’s presence, the more we will receive and live in his perfect peace. We can turn every emotion, sensation, and experience into an occasion for connection with God. Sitting in silence, taking a walk, actually tasting your food…each of these and ten-thousand other everyday events can be intentional occasions to connect with the God who is always present and too often ignored.
Being Present with God
Make some time to be present with God. Right now make yourself aware that he is with you. Don’t ask him for anything or confess anything. Don’t fill the space with words. Just be with him now and feel the sense of perfect peace that comes from simply resting in his presence. Then, you can take that awareness of his presence into your daily world and look for opportunities to connect your everyday experiences with this sense of his presence. Thank him for the way that he has made you aware of his presence during this time.
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