PERFECT PEACE

“You will keep in PERFECT PEACE those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You” – Isaiah 26:3

PERFECT PEACE is God’s Covenant Promise to His people – as individuals, families, groups or nation: “You will keep in PERFECT PEACE those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You” (Isa.26:3). Perfect Peace is a possibility in the here-and-now, for those whose minds are steadfast and trusting in God. Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace is more than able to usher all who believe in Him into the realms of Perfect Peace – peace with God; peace of God; and peace in God.

The first three verses of our meditative text – Isaiah 26 – present a beautiful and powerful Song of Salvation. The contents of this song reveal three Pedestals of Peace: entry level, experiential peace, and perfect peace. These represent three sub-themes respectively, namely: salvation; righteousness and truth; and perfect peace.

Verse 1 – “In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; God will appoint SALVATION for walls and bulwarks.” This speaks of the entry level of PEACE WITH GOD. Having been justified, we are no longer enemies of God. We have Peace WITH God: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have PEACE WITH GOD through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). God has appointed Salvation as our walls and bulwarks against all enemies of our peace!

Verse 2 – “Open the gates, that the RIGHTEOUS nation which keeps the TRUTH may enter in.” This refers to the experiential level of PEACE OF GOD: “And the PEACE of GOD, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phi. 4:7). God has opened the gates of redemption, thereby granting us access into all that pertains to life and godliness, having escaped the corruption that is in the world (2 Peter 1:3-4). In this realm, peace is a vital part of the fruit of the spirit which characterise the believer’s life. It is now our responsibility to value righteousness and keep (walk in) the TRUTH, as we grow in the knowledge of God’s word and in obedience to it.

Verse 3 – “You will keep him in PERFECT PEACE, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” This affirms the ultimate or perfect level of PEACE IN GOD, wherein the God of Peace Himself saturates your life: Now the LORD of PEACE Himself give you PEACE ALWAYS by all means. The Lord be with you ALWAYS (2The.3:16). To partake in this highest pedestal of peace demands understanding and embracing God’s Manifest Presence. On this level of peace, we know of a surety that the Lord is with us ALWAYS!

There is a void at the core of every human heart that insatiably sucks and swallows every bit of matter that comes close to it. Absolutely nothing – not riches, wealth, power, pleasure, fame, fortune, fantasies, travel, art, or learning – can ever fully satisfy this ‘black hole’ of the human heart! This longing for something beyond the superficial is actually a quest for peace, tranquillity of being, and serenity of soul. Humanity’s endless quest for peace can only be met at the Feet of the Prince of Peace, and much more, in His Embrace! The human heart is restless till it finds its rest in God! Thank God, His Son gives an open invitation: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I WILL GIVE YOU REST” (Mt.11:28).

Beloved, where have you been searching for peace, rest, and fulfilment? Search nowhere else than in the embrace of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Prince of Peace has made an offer you dare not refuse: “Peace I leave with you, My Peace I give to you: not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (Jh.14:27). By God’s Grace and Mercy, you can be lifted up the pedestals of peace, to the ultimate enjoyment of Perfect Peace. Together, let us agree in this prayer of faith: “LORD, You will establish PEACE for us, for You have also done all our works in us” (v.12).