“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”
Isaiah 26:3

I have to admit that much of the time I don’t feel like I am in a place of “perfect peace.” So, naturally, the question to ask is, “why not?” I could use a number of defenses to answer this:

Life is stressful. I have a 4 month old baby. Money is always tight. I’m in the midst of tough situations that are out of my control. On and on and on goes my list. Everyone has a list. BUT, we aren’t lacking peace because of our various life circumstances. Our “lists” will always be there.

My own mind and emotions sabotage my ability to have peace. Isaiah 26:3 says that God will keep us in perfect peace when our mind is STAYED on Him. My mind will be stayed on Him when I fully trust Him. I will fully trust Him when I know Him. I will know Him when I seek Him through prayer and reading His Word.

When we really understand who God is, and how powerful His promises are, the trials of this life become so much smaller. For example, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Phil. 4:13. We can do ALL things through the power of Jesus. What does that look like? I can love the person who is hateful towards me. I can share the gospel with the person who mocks me. I can serve my family on three hours of sleep, and do it without complaining (new mommies, this one's for you!). And that’s just one promise! We have a whole Bible full of His promises.

Here is a practical way to get to that place of peace: Write down a list of the most stressful, tormenting, frustrating, aggravating, upsetting situations in your life. Then, next to each one, write a promise in the Word of God that you know will enable you to have peace about that situation.

Now, when you begin to fret and feel the anxiety growing, look at your list. What is it in God’s Word that will get you through? Spend some time with Him, ask for wisdom in dealing with the anxiety in your life, dwell on His Word and live in His peace. It is always there for us to enjoy.