The Voice of Truth
I woke up with a heaviness in my chest. I had received news that my mom would need a second surgery after undergoing a craniotomy a few months back. She now had a large abscess that, if ruptured, could be fatal. I had been unaware of how I was carrying my worry and anxiety even into my time of ‘rest’ until that heaviness woke me. At that moment, I heard a reassuring, calm voice, the voice of truth, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you.” Half asleep, I tried to take those promises to heart and calm my spirit. As I slipped back into sleep, I was alert again, and the Holy Spirit spoke those same words and promises. I decided to pick up my phone to check the time; it was 3:15 am. I then quickly searched those words and found the scripture in Isaiah 26:3: “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD God is an everlasting rock.
Those who keep their minds focused on Jesus will experience peace. By focusing on the Lord, we learn to trust Him. We are to trust Him forever in all things, not just sometimes and in easy situations. He is a rock that lasts for eternity. He’s our firm foundation, our anchor in the storm, the rock upon which we stand firm in our faith. God has proven himself worthy of trust. He is faithful. This doesn’t mean things will always turn out how we think best. We must trust that God’s way is perfect, Psalm 18:30. His thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are his ways our ways. Isaiah 55:8
The Bigger Picture
When Jesus was arrested, beaten, tortured, and crucified as a ransom for our sins, those who loved Him were devastated and discouraged, for at the time, they “still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead” John 20:9 NLT. They didn’t see the bigger picture, that Jesus would rise from the dead through the power of the Holy Spirit, and because of His death and resurrection, we could live forever with Christ if we repent of our sins and turn to God. That was the bigger picture that brought Christ’s followers tremendous joy, that brings those of us who have accepted this free gift of salvation paid with the precious blood of Jesus so much joy and thankfulness.
I love Romans 8:28: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Notice it says ALL things, not just the good, but the good and the bad. We must be careful and not try to reason everything, but we must trust in God, who is far above anything our finite minds can comprehend. We must strive to keep our focus set on Him.
Focus on Jesus
To keep our minds on the Lord, we must turn to Him and away from all things that take His place in our hearts and lives. He is our priority, and spending time with him should be the most important part of our day; reading His Word, praying, worshipping, and meditating on Him must be our focus. He will strengthen and nourish us through His Word and glorious presence when we do these things. He will become the source of everything we need: hope, peace, joy, strength… These come from His Spirit. Anything sourced elsewhere offers no fulfillment or satisfaction. In this process, we also grow in our knowledge of Him and who He is and get to know His beautiful character.
You might be going through a difficult trial and are wondering how you’ll make it. I’ve been there, too. Unfortunately, what my mom’s neurosurgeon thought was an abscess was a sac of fluid surrounded by four small tumors. She has been diagnosed with never-smoker metastatic lung cancer. I’d like to tell you I’ve remained strong in this storm, but there are moments when I feel I’m hanging on by a thread. I recently saw something on social media that said, “When you’re hanging on by a thread, make sure it’s the hem of His garment.” If you don’t know the story about the immense faith of the woman with the bleeding problem, I recommend you read it. It’s in Mark 5, Matthew 9, and Luke 8.
I’m not certain how things will turn out, but I am certain of these things, and although I can’t explain them or reason them fully, God’s Spirit in me proclaims them. God is faithful! He is good, and He cares deeply for us! I believe this with all I am, regardless of the circumstances or the outcome of this or any storm. God is worthy of trust and always worthy of praise. Amen!
This is SO good! This IS truth!
He is the Way, the truth, and the life! Amen!