A MIND FIXED ON GOD
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” Isaiah 26:3
We know how important it is for us to control our thoughts. The mind can drift or be distracted to the wrong things many times each minute. What we think about will influence how we feel and what we do. The challenge from the Scripture is to keep our mind “stayed on thee.” We want to keep God in our thoughts. Contrast this with the wicked man, of whom the Bible says, “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts” (Psalm 10:4). The ungodly do not want to think about God.
In our case, we want our minds to be filled with thoughts of our Redeemer, but our minds can be drawn to many other subjects. It is important that we make Him the chief focus of our minds. Having a “God consciousness” is the goal of every sincere Christian. When we think more of Him, we will think less of lesser things. Charles Spurgeon once said, “It is when we think much of Christ, that we think little of our troubles, little of our doubts and fears that surround us.” One cannot worry when his mind is filled with thoughts of the Almighty. It is not practical to imagine thinking angry and bitter thoughts when our thoughts are concentrating on the Lord. We should purpose to make Jesus the central subject of our minds.
The result of a mind stayed on God will be “perfect peace.” This is the experience of peace that all men desire. It is the by-product of the Christ-filled mind. You will notice that this Scripture is not calling for our ability to maintain this peace. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace.” God is the One that will keep us in peace, when our minds are stayed on Him. The more we can keep our minds occupied with God, the more He will keep our hearts filled with peace. When our minds are not on Him, they are more apt to fret and worry, and be filled with improper thoughts.
How is it that God blesses us with “perfect peace” as our minds dwell on Him? Our text tells us it is because this man “trusteth” in God. By faith, we make God the center of our concentration; and we rely on Him more than on our abilities, resting in His love and care. It is natural to allow our minds to be filled with the cares of this world. However, when we do so, we forfeit the peace that God has promised.