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You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Isaiah 26:3 NLT
Scripture: Isaiah 26

Believers and non-believers alike are searching for peace in today’s world. There is so much tension and division that peace seems to have flown out the window. This devotion looks at the peace we can find in God.

Cliff Notes

• Salvation provides us both safety and peace in our lives.
• God provides us with victories in our lives.
• Even though our paths may be steep and rough, God provides peace so that we can rest in Him.
• Those who have not put their trust in God will find judgment instead of peace.

Isaiah 26: 3 caught my eye first. I liked the idea of finding peace. Looking at the whole chapter is even more comforting. Let’s pick it apart and see what we find.

God Protects Us

Isaiah describes a strong, fortified city. We don’t have walls surrounding our cities anymore, but we’ve all probably read something about them. We might remember thick, impenetrable walls; gates that can be closed to keep out unwanted predators; and guards to keep watch for any threats. All of those precautions would make citizens feel safer — feel more at peace.

God’s salvation provides that safety for us. All who seek God as Sovereign and choose to put their trust in Him find the gates open wide so they can enter. “God has done all this, so that we will look for him and reach out and find him. He isn’t far from any of us” (Ac. 17: 27 CEV). He wants to save us all.

But read verse three again: “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (Isa. 26: 3 NLT). Our thoughts need to be fixed on Him. Fixed — not just a little bit during the scheduled devotional time — but all day and all night. “In the night I search for you; in the morning I earnestly seek you …” (Isa. 26: 9 NLT). We have to be seeking Him.

All who trust in Him is promised continuous, perfect, all-encompassing peace. This peace is regardless of the daily circumstances. He is the rock on which we can stand (Deut. 32: 4).

God Triumphs

We can be so proud of ourselves at times, but pride and arrogance have a way of tripping us up. God has a way of humbling the proud and cutting us off at the knees.

God rewards humility. In fact, He has given us Jesus as an example. Philippians 2: 3, 5-7 says, “Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. … Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (RSV).

God will give the humble victory over their enemies. “And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts” (Mal. 4: 3 RSV). We are not necessarily just talking people here.

I think we are talking circumstances, also. “Then the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet …” (Rom. 16: 20 RSV). Satan puts a lot of tempting circumstances in our path. Those will also be crushed when God levels Satan.

The Steep and Rough Parts

You may be reading verse seven and saying, “I wish.” “But for those who are righteous, the way is not steep and rough. You are a God who does what is right, and you smooth out the path ahead of them” (Isa. 26: 7 NLT). We have given our lives to God, yet there are a lot of days that our ways seem steep and rough.

That is where the trust comes in. Do we really think our ways would be that much smoother if He wasn’t our God? I really don’t think so. Believer and non-believers alike struggle with a tough row to hoe.

We have access to the peace that non-believers don’t have because our trust is in the Creator of the universe. The One who knows the past, present, and future has us by the right hand. “I am the LORD your God. I am holding your hand, so don’t be afraid. I am here to help you” (Isa. 41: 13 CEV). God’s got us so that we can rest in Him.

So, let’s put it into this perspective. We are going to have a steep and rough road no matter what. “Be determined and confident. Do not be afraid of them. Your God, the LORD himself, will be with you. He will not fail you or abandon you” (Deut. 31: 6 GNT). God is never going to leave us. He will always be there providing peace.

How do we show that we trust God? “Lord, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify your name” (Isa. 26: 8 NLT). We have to trust that His ways — in this instance, laws — are the best and right.

We must remain obedient to God, even in the worst times. “So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up” (Gal. 6: 9 HCSB emphasis added). “Good” is whatever God has in our plans for us to do.

We must remain dependent on God. “My salvation and glory depend on God, my strong rock. My refuge is in God” (Ps. 62: 7 HCSB).

Those Who Do Not Trust in Him

Unfortunately, “… only when you [Jesus] come to judge the earth will people learn what is right” (Isa. 26: 9 NLT). People choose not to believe in God. By doing so, they do not have access to the peace that passes understanding (Phil. 4: 7). They will find out in the end that God’s Word was true.

God’s favor, at times, does fall on the unjust as well as the just. “… He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Mt. 5: 45 NIV).

Still, that is not enough to get them to choose God. “Your kindness to the wicked does not make them do good. Although others do right, the wicked keep doing wrong and take no notice of the Lord’s majesty. O Lord, they pay no attention to your upraised fist …” (Isa. 26: 10-11 NLT).

Judgment is coming for those who do not repent and turn to God. The final chapter has already been written.

To read Will We Be Rewarded or Repaid?, click on the button below.

Worshipping the One, True God

When we look back at our lives, as Isaiah did, we can see both mercy and judgment. We find both God’s grace and His mercy. Grace is where He provided more than we deserved. Mercy is where He didn’t judge us to the extent He could have.

Judgment is hard, even with God’s mercy lightening the punishment. “Lord, in distress we searched for you. We prayed beneath the burden of your discipline” (Isa. 26: 16 NLT). Especially then, we need to keep praying. We can’t save ourselves. We need His healing and guiding hand.

Hopefully, we will see that we are nothing without God. All that we have gotten in life comes from Him. “O Lord, you have made our nation great; yes, you have made us great. You have extended our borders, and we give you the glory!” (Isa. 26: 15 NLT)” That includes the peace that He has bestowed upon us.

Because of what He has done for us, including giving us peace, we worship God. We show Him our reverence and adoration because of all He has done for and given us.

We may have worshipped different things in the past, but those are dead to us. They may not be physically dead and gone, but they have lost their appeal because God is so much more.

Hope of Deliverance

Only through God do we have hope of deliverance. “But those who die in the Lord will live; their bodies will rise again! Those who sleep in the earth will rise up and sing for joy! …” (Isa. 26: 19 NLT).

People will get their rewards while others will get repaid. “Look! The Lord is coming from heaven to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will no longer hide those who have been killed. They will be brought out for all to see” (Isa. 26: 21 NLT). This falls in line with Revelation 20: 11: “… The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide” (NLT).

What Does This Mean?

Isaiah 26: 4 says, “Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock” (NLT). Our peace is assured when we put our trust in God. Yes, the things of this world will try to undermine that peace, but God is our Rock — immovable. That calms our fears and fosters the peace within us.

How Do We Apply This?

We need to continually seek God — day and night. We need to put our trust and faith in Him. We need to cling to Him as our rock.

This will provide us peace for the steep, rough paths we travel daily. We have the hope and assurance that God will deliver us to our eternal home.

Lord. You have promised us peace and rest in You. We cling to You as You show us Your Will for our lives. We trust in You. Amen.