Easy to read devotional on Isaiah 26:3 using the SOAP method. (Scripture, observation, application, and prayer)
Scripture: From the amplified Bible, Isaiah 26:3 reads, “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.”
Observation: This passage promises a perfect and constant peace to those who keep their minds on Christ. Christ came so that we would have peace. After His death and resurrection, and before He went home to be with our heavenly Father, Christ left us His peace. Peace is one of the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit that a believer and follower of Christ will have. Christ's peace has nothing to do with our circumstances, it is His, and His peace is constant, good, and perfect. It is a gift given to us through our faith: our Faith in God, in Christ, and what He did so that we would have right standing with the Father and have eternal life. This peace cannot leave us because it was never ours. It is Christs'.
The verse also says that God will guard us. When we keep our thoughts on Christ: His goodness, and the truth of His Word: instead of the things of this world and the lies of the enemy: God will guard us. He responds to His Word, our righteous thoughts, praise, and thanks to Him.
Application: How can we apply this verse to our lives? With the world that we live in right now, with everything going on all around us, it is easy to be consumed, discouraged, and fearful: to feel as if we are losing our peace. Just listening to the nightly news for a few minutes or reading an MSN headline may make you feel like you need to cover yourself back into your warm bed and forget about the cares of the world.
If you find yourself feeling anxious and worried, what are you thinking about? Have you noticed that your thoughts have turned to discouraging and untrue? If we allow our thinking to wander to thoughts of worry over our present adverse circumstances or concerns of the future, our thoughts are no longer on the truth of what God says about us, and His perfect plan for us.
Discipline your thoughts and put your focus back on God. When we keep our thoughts on Him, we will have perfect and constant peace. He is our Father who purposely chose and adopted us as His children. He is our restorer. His love is so great that there is absolutely nothing He would not do for you. Who or what are you putting your hope on? The things of this world? Or the things of God? When we put our hope and expectation on God, we feel peace. We are no longer overwhelmed by our circumstances, but we know that God cares about all things that concern us. Give Him all of your cares, all of your circumstances, and say, “I’m done with this God, I give it all to you, I know that you will take care of this for me.” If you find your thoughts wandering back to the situation, say, “Thank you, God, for your goodness and grace, you are my restorer, and you are turning this situation around for me.”
Turn your thoughts back to God. God wants us to give Him all of our concerns, not just what you consider the big stuff. When you find yourself thinking, “I don’t want to bother God with this; He has bigger things to deal with.” Ultimately, what you’re doing is putting God in a box: choosing for Him what you want Him to care about. God cares about us wholeheartedly. None of our concerns are too big, too small, or unimportant to Him. He wants to be actively involved in every aspect of our lives.
The world needs us: They need our encouragement, our smiles, and our prayers. When you are out and about in your day or scrolling through social media and notice someone who seems discouraged, be bold and say, “Hey, I care for you and what you are going through. I will pray for you.” Don’t concern yourself with whether or not they believe in Christ or you’re afraid of making a fool of yourself. God will anoint you and give you His strength at that moment. Christ will plant a seed in their hearts when they see the light of the Lord shining through you.
Prayer: Let’s pray: “Father, I thank you that you came so that we might enjoy our lives. You have given us Your peace as a gift. Thank you that you care for all things that I care about. Thank you that your agape love surrounds me. Help me to help others who might be struggling. Shine Your loving light through me so that others will see You and Your love. I love You. In Jesus name, Amen.”
