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- He will keep in perfect peace those who are atradfast full#
- He will keep in perfect peace those who are atradfast free#
But it's not the idea of falling you must remember. Now it would hurt us to fall on a large, solid rock. The thought here is that you abandon all other crutches you could lean on, and place all of your anxiety, all of your being, and all of your circumstances on the only One who can support you.Ĭan He support? Good question. You can just feel yourself bouncing off that stretched-out piece of thick vinyl. I think of jumping up and down and letting all of my weight fall in an almost relaxed manner on a trampoline. I think of a trampoline when I think of that imagery. In the Arabic (occasionally closely related to the Hebrew), the term for trust has a very picturesque meaning: "to throw one's self down upon one's face." How does God know when to give us that rest? Well, it says in verse 3, because we trust in Him. According to the prophet's words, it comes from the God upon whom the person leans. So here the idea is of an unending security, a sense of uninterrupted, perpetual rest and calmness. The frame of mind that is being supported as a result of leaning: You, Lord, will watch over with "shalom, shalom." Not literally "perfect peace," but "peace, peace." In the Hebrew, a term was repeated for emphasis. The term means "to guard from danger, to watch over." It is so rendered in Isaiah 42:6. If you put the two thoughts together, they convey this: "A frame of mind that is receiving support from leaning and therefore is being sustained." That brings us to the main verb, will keep. The words "of mind" come from one verb that means "to frame" or "to fashion, to form." In the original Hebrew language, this particular construction has the idea of "a frame of mind." Steadfast is from a term that means "to lean, to rest, to support." It's the idea of being sustained as a result of leaning on something supporting you. The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace,įor in G OD the L ORD, we have an everlasting Rock. Let's take a closer look at those two verses. He's talking about an individual at peace with himself, with God, and with others. Remember, the prophet is not writing about international peace. I want to draw my remarks from the colorful Hebrew language, which is the original text of Isaiah 26:3–4. I'd like you to take note not only of what these verses are saying, but also of what they mean to you personally. Tucked away in the twenty-sixth chapter of Isaiah are two verses we need to dust off every once in a while-verses 3 and 4.
He will keep in perfect peace those who are atradfast free#
How very few live a life that is calm, deliberate, free from anxiety.
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That's true among Christians as well as non-Christians. We are in an endless wrestling match with insecurity, a lack of confidence, a struggle with a purpose and place in life, and the pursuit of freedom from worry and anxiety. We are basically critical and intolerant. Most people don't live at peace with themselves, so it stands to reason we don't live peacefully with others. Deep down underneath our placid plastic cover we are fighters. Peace-something that is needed between nations just as badly as it is needed between neighbors. I'm referring to the often-longed-for but seldom-found virtue of peace. It is a virtue that everybody pursues, but very few possess on a regular basis.
He will keep in perfect peace those who are atradfast full#
I invite you to focus your full attention on one of the rarest of all virtues.
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