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Isaiah 26:3 - Peace That Surpasses All Understanding. (addendum)

Isaiah 26:3 - Peace That Surpasses All Understanding. (addendum)

Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV)  You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose 
mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. 

Isaiah 26:3 (NCV)  You, LORD, give true peace to those who 
depend on you, because they trust you. 

"The peace of God" is not the absence of problems; it is the 
presence of divine sufficiency in the midst of problems (Isa. 26:4; Phil. 
4:13, 19). George Morrison said, "Peace is the possession of adequate 
resources", and those resources come from the Lord when you yield heart and 
mind to Him. [Chapter by Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren Wiersbe 
re Isa. 26] 

  It isn't easy finding peace in a violent world. This task was 
no less daunting for the people in the Bible who followed God in 
the midst of brutal and oppressive times. Isaiah lived in such 
times. He saw Israel (the northern kingdom) conquered and destroyed by 
the Assyrians, who then turned their sights on Judah (the southern 
kingdom). Yet he spoke of knowing peace--not just any peace but perfect 
peace. In fact, he said that if we trust in God and fix our thoughts on 
him, he will not only give us perfect peace, but will keep us in 
perfect peace.  
  The key to knowing God's peace in a violent world is to fix 
our thoughts on him and trust him. When we fix our thoughts on him, 
the dizzying tornado of stress and confusion fades into the 
distance. Circumstances may change, but God doesn't change. He is "the 
eternal Rock" (Isaiah 26:4)--immoveable, unchangeable, firm, and steady. 
We can entrust ourselves to him.  
  No matter what circumstances you face, keep your thoughts on 
and your trust in God. He will give you peace. [The One Year Bible 
for New Believers re Isa.26:3, 4] 

  When you know you have a hopeful, joyous, and peaceful future, 
enduring today is easier. If you face a difficult situation--debt, 
tragedy, conflict, loss, the kind of situations that chase hope away--it's 
much easier to get through it if you know God is with you. Things 
will get better; you will eventually be victorious. There is a peace 
to be found in that knowledge, isn't there? That's what a lot of 
the prophecies in the Bible are all about. No matter what we face 
today, we read in the writings of men like Micah and John that we have 
a hopeful future, protected by God himself. That knowledge gives 
us peace and resilience.  
  How connected are you to God's vision of the future? What does 
the word future even conjure in your mind? Do you have peace about 
the future? Does your peace easily fade away during difficult times? 
Take a moment and let God make the connection for you between this 
moment and the future Micah described in which, "everyone will live in 
peace." Let that truth sink in. Let that peace begin today. [The One 
Year Bible for New Believers re Mic.4:4] 

  In this verse God's promised peace has two conditions: First, 
it is for those who trust in him, which means to commit ourselves 
to the Lord, lean on him, and hope confidently in him. Second, it 
is for those who fix their thoughts on God. We are often 
preoccupied and have our minds focused on many other things. Some of us seem 
to have a tape in our minds that keeps replaying a list of 
responsibilities, tasks and scheduled activities, problems and burdens, and the 
tragedies and fearful things going on in the world around us. But when we 
fix our minds and thoughts on the character and attributes of the 
Lord our God, we have something different playing in our minds: the 
reminder that God is our everlasting rock, our refuge in times of 
trouble, the Lord Almighty who holds the whole world and each of us 
individually in his hands. With God as our focus and with our faith firmly 
fixed on him, we can experience the truth of today's verse: he will 
keep us in perfect and constant peace no matter what happens. It's a 
promise. 
  Prayer: LORD, I am hearing that "list" replaying in my head, 
and need your peace for today. I ask you to help me to do these 
things: to lean on you, to meditate on your character and attributes, 
and to trust you with all my heart. Thank you for your promise that 
your perfect peace will guard my heart and mind. [Praying Through The 
Bible By Fuller re Isa. 26:3] 

God can't give us happiness and peace apart from Himself because 
there is no such thing. C. S. Lewis 

Christ's Passion
http://www.abible.com/animations/53.swf

The Cross
http://www.heartlight.org/dynimation/an_1john4_10.html

The Blessed Hope
http://www.abible.com/animations/ee.swf