"Shalom, Shalom"
"Shalom Shalom!"
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you (Isaiah 26:3).
Israel was in a state of fear. The Assyrians, infamous for their fierce cruelty, were marching their way bent on conquest! Every heart was filled with dread; God’s people were giving way to fear. But in the midst of the chaos, God raised up a prophet to point His people away from panic and back toward peace.
In the Hebrew, He keeps us in shalom shalom—repeated for emphasis—very peace of very peace, and it’s all ours with one simple qualifier: that we stay our minds on God. Yes, easier said than done sometimes, especially when we are immersed in and bombarded by frightening stats and new disconcerting developments every few minutes! But God’s people have a promise from the Lord Himself. If we stay, ie., fasten, settle, glue our minds on God and His Word, HE promises to keep us in an undisturbed state of soul rest. This requires redirecting our attention from the frenzied chatter and all those “what ifs,” back to the green pastures and quiet waters where our Shepherd King makes us to lie down. There we cast our bullied souls upon our Prince of Peace.
It may mean less time poring over daily news and more time pondering the Good News instead. And it’s comforting to know that it is HE who keeps us in peace, it’s His power that protects our hearts from worry. Christ Himself guards our hearts with a peace that defies logic! So next time you sense fear is driving you, turn your thoughts to God and STAY THERE—and let His perfect love cast out all fear!
For further reflection: Philippians 4:6-9; John 14:27; Psalm 27