Do You Focus on God or on Your Situation During Difficult Times?

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”
                                      Isaiah 26:3 (KJV)
 



 
Hi friends,
     How are you today?  Before I talk about Isaiah 26:3 specifically, I want to discuss some concepts that go with the verse.  Let’s first think about having a “one-tracked” mind.  Have you ever had a one-tracked mind?  You know the sort, when you are hyper focused on something and right or wrong, once you have it in your head to do something a specific way, nothing can stand in your way. 

     I have experienced that before in myself and in others.  I know that when I am focused on something that strongly, I can forget all that is around me.  I could forget that I have water boiling on the stove or forget that my husband is in the room and not hear him ask me a question.  Our brains are “funny” in that way. 

     Think about the “placebo effect”.  If people believe enough, often sugar pills can help as much as the “real” medicine or cure for something.  The mind is focused on the fact that it will work.  It believes.  It trusts that it will work.

     Another thing to think about is the “power of thought”, especially the “power of positive thinking”.  If we think positively, often times positive things happen.  If we think negatively, often times negative things happen.

     I find it interesting that we bring up these principles to encourage each other when we are down.  We often believe these sentiments as true and good.  We think we are doing good to encourage others with these things.  And, many times, we do feel a certain amount of encouragement.  They do seem to help us many times when we are down.  Yet, these are worldly sentiment.  None of it gives credit to God.  None of it gives us what God can give us. 

     Now, let’s look at Isaiah 26:3 and ponder it a while.  The first part of Isaiah 26:3 (KJV) reads, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace”.  When do we need peace or think about needing peace?  It is when we are troubled, anxious, frustrated, confused, angry, depressed, or scared that we need to be reassured that God can give us peace.  We also need peace when we are sinful and do the wrong things.  We may feel sorry, ashamed, or self-conscious.  We need the peace of knowing that we are forgiven, wiped clean, and back on the right path.  We need to know we are not in conflict with each other, with ourselves, or with God.  This is the type of peace that God can offer.  It is a peace in our heart, not just in our mind, that He loves us and will keep us safe.  (It might not be a worldly safe at times, but it is a heavenly safe.  It will be in His arms and not lost or out of His sight.)  God’s peace is more than just a lack of fighting and turmoil.  It is a heavenly peace that touches more than our mind and heart.  It touches us deeply within in our spirit.

     It seems to me that when we fear something, it is the not knowing or worry that we really fear.  Often, I fear trying new things.  It isn’t really the fear of trying new things that really bother me, it is more that I fear making mistakes, wasting materials, or getting into trouble. I fear flying.  It isn’t really that I fear flying, but more that I fear crashing and dying.  I fear dying, but it isn’t so much that I fear dying.  It is more that I fear not knowing what it will be like or being afraid that I won’t be with God in heaven.  (These fears come and go depending on how I am feeling.  My mind knows that I have nothing to fear, because I believe in God and love Him.  My heart isn’t always as calm as my mind.  My spirit isn’t always at peace.)  See how our fear can seem to be one thing but really another?  God can help us.  He can give us a peace, but not just any peace, a heavenly and perfect peace. 

     The middle part of Isaiah 26:3 (KJV) reads, “…whose mind is stayed on thee…”.  That is the person who will get the perfect peace from the first part of the peace, the person whose mind is focused on God.  That is why it is good to have some Bible verses committed to memory, so we can remember the inspirational and helpful words God gave us.  It is the reason why we should be in the habit of praying about every little thing, so when we are upset it will almost be second nature to pray about it and to ask God for help.

      Let’s go back to what I was saying earlier about being super focused on something.  When we are super focused on someone or something, we get tuned in to just that person or thing.  We tune out and sometimes even forget other things and people around us.

     The more we focus on God, His Word, and His love for us, the more at peace we begin to feel.  The more we do this, the more we yearn for a relationship with Him, and the more we grow to feel and understand these things more deeply.  As we do that, the stronger and more real our peace becomes.

     So, when we are down or afraid or have any number of negative emotions, we have two choices.  We can focus on the fear and negative emotions or we can focus on God.  Which would you rather do?  Now, it might sound simple to just say, “Focus on God.”  Well, it is not always that simple.  It can be one of the more difficult things to do amongst some strong emotions and tumultuous situations.  However, the more we do it, the more God will change our hearts, and the easier it will become.

     The last part of Isaiah 26:3 (KJV) says, “…because he trusteth in thee”.  If we didn’t believe in God, if we didn’t trust God’s love and faithfulness, we wouldn’t put in the time or the effort to get to know Him or to focus on Him.  We didn’t believe that He could give us perfect peace.  We wouldn’t love Him and yearn to be close to Him. 

     May God give you and may you accept His heavenly peace, my friends.
 
Heavenly Father,
     Thank you for being our Heavenly Father and for wanting the best for us.  Thank you for giving us your protection, comfort, guidance, and love.  Help us to focus only on you.  Help us to remember your words and promise of peace, especially in times of fear and tribulation.  Help us to feel and accept your heavenly peace that you want to give us.  I ask you this through Jesus, your Son.  Amen.
 
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Reflective questions for Isaiah 26:3 (KJV):
*What does Isaiah 26:3 mean to me?
*What does “perfect peace” mean to me?
*How is God’s peace different from worldly peace?
*Have someone I know or I ever been super focused?  What has it felt like?
*Do I trust God?
*What can I do to better heed the words in Isaiah 26:3?
*What other verses remind me of the message in Isaiah 26:3?
*What is God telling me right now through Isaiah 26:3?

Note:
     If you enjoyed this post, you may enjoy reading these other encouraging posts:
*Do You Love God with Your Whole Being?
*Love and Fear
*We are Called to do Everything for God

Now, it is your turn:
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