What are the ingredients for perfect peace? Complete peace is possible, but how is it obtained and kept? There are two ingredients necessary for perfect peace according to Isaiah 26:3-4.
The two ingredients are God and you. God doing His part and you doing yours. You joining hand-in-hand with God who keeps you in perfect peace is essential to obtaining the perfect peace God gives. The Bible says the following about how this is possible.
You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
Isaiah 26:3-4
Who has the main responsibility for perfect peace? Where does perfect peace originate? How is perfect peace obtained? The “YOU” in the passage refers to God. Substitute “GOD” for “YOU” and the passage reads “God Keeps him in perfect peace”. God is the originator, giver, sustainer, and provider of peace. It is possible to have perfect peace!
How is your experience of perfect peace today? Have you received it? Have you felt it? Has the distress of your soul become less distracting because of your receiving complete and abiding peace?
Though God’s responsibility of giving peace is crucial to your receiving peace, you have a necessary duty to fully receive this peace. The word “mind” gives a hint to the part you play in your receipt of peace. Mind is illuminated in one translation by the description “steadfast”. In short, it is your responsibility to lean your thinking, rest your thoughts, and quiet your mind.
Interrupt the rapid thoughts of your brain and redirect them to think a certain way. Instead of allowing your thinking to run in multiple directions, work to center your thinking, rest your thinking, lean your thinking on one thing . . .the everlasting rock. When you make your thoughts focus on what never changes, you are contributing your ingredient to make the perfect combination for peace.
Trusting in God means you look to the unchangeableness of God to provide a firm place for you to stand. Remember God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Rest upon the fact that God is merciful, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love.
How long are you able to think this way? Forever. God is able to be trusted forever. You can continually have confidence in God. It is when you choose to focus, lean in with your all, and stand firm on the never changing God; He will give you His Perfect Peace.
In John 14:27, Jesus promised to give His followers His peace, His perfect peace. The instruction that came along with the promise of peace was “do not let your hearts be troubled”. Jesus was emphasizing, the way to peace is to not be distracted from the Rock. It is when followers of Jesus keep their thinking focused on God’s never changingness they experience perfect peace.
Watch your peace be more full and complete by practicing trusting God more and more. Lean your thinking, rest your thoughts, and quiet your mind on the unchangeableness of God. Contribute that ingredient and watch God contribute the ingredient of the provision of perfect peace. This is the right combination for perfect peace.
Written By: Anne Gurley
