Project Description
2013/07
A Word To Women
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee:” (Isaiah 26:3)
How are you, dear sister in Christ? No, really, I mean it. I know that in Northern Ireland when people ask this question it is more of a greeting than a genuine inquiry, and we don’t really expect an answer. But I want you to answer this question honestly, as I will. Are you feeling well as you read this? You may assume I mean physically, but actually I mean spiritually. Are you in good spiritual health?
Obviously when we want to be sure of feeling well physically, we will seek to follow a healthy, balanced diet (that doesn’t mean a piece of cake in each hand!), get plenty of fresh air, exercise and rest, and keep our stress levels to a minimum. All this is very good.
But what about your spiritual health? Are you taking measures to ensure that you are ‘in good shape’ spiritually? Often in this busy world, with so much to accomplish in a day, we can feel overwhelmed, worn out, weak, and perhaps agitated or uptight. If our minds are upset or worked up, we are most certainly not at rest. We find it difficult to think straight when the mind is unsettled, and the resulting confusion seems to affect everything – the molehills become mountains and the blue skies become grey. But this is not how the Lord wants His children to live! We are meant to enjoy life as we serve Him, and bring glory to His Name, so we must put measures in place that will help restore a spiritually healthy mind.
Isaiah knew a thing or two about advising those who were letting the cares and troubles of this life get a grip on them. Those wise words of praise and thankfulness to the Lord in Isaiah 26: 3-4 will bring comfort to us too. We may not have just the trials and difficulties faced by people in Old Testament times, but our own troubles can deflate us spiritually and emotionally. These are verses that always comfort my soul: I pray that as they settle in your heart today they will help you to continue on your journey towards your heavenly home and eternal rest.
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because He trusteth in Thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.”
Imagine… ‘perfect peace’! Here is something we may think only obtainable when we finally reach heaven. But no, our gracious and loving Heavenly Father wants us to have it now, here on earth, before we attain everlasting glory. But how is this possible? The LORD will keep us in perfect peace when we allow our mind to stay on Him and His Word. The word translated “stay” means to ‘wait, dwell, rest, rely, or focus’.
Next time you find yourself thinking too much about a problem, or worrying endlessly about some matter, turn your thoughts to the Lord and His Word. Ask yourself, ‘What does the Bible say about this?’ Try to remind yourself of some Scripture verses that relate to your case and dwell on those truths instead. Ponder the Lord’s goodness in your life and all the blessings He has given you. Trust Him to see you through the hard times and let Him comfort your heart with the peace that ‘passeth all understanding’.
As the lovely old hymn says, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”
Karen Murray
