The Sure Cure for Worry! The Pathway to Perfect Peace!

In that day, everyone in the land of Judah will sing this song: Our city is strong! We are surrounded by the walls of God’s salvation. Open the gates to all who are righteous; allow the faithful to enter. You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock. He humbles the proud and brings down the arrogant city. He brings it down to the dust. The poor and oppressed trample it underfoot, and the needy walk all over it. Isaiah 46:1-6

I don't think I have met many people who don't in some way struggle with "worry". Some say, "I inherited the worry gene". Some describe themselves as "professional worriers". I think worry is innate to the human condition. We worry when we expect a negative outcome and feel powerless to do anything about it. 

The people of Israel had plenty to worry about. They had been invaded by a foreign super power in Assyria. They had lost a lot of lives and their place of worship. They weren't sure what was next. Although Isaiah had prophesied all of this, he now goes in the mode of being a comforter and prophesies there would be a day when the Lord would wipe away every tear and give them peace on every side. 

Importantly for us today Isaiah says this, "You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock."

This verse is the perfect verse for those of us who are "chronic worriers". The Lord says through Isaiah that the key to perfect peace, a peace that cannot be taken away, is where we put our focus. His promise is that we will maintain perfect peace when we keep our thoughts fixed on God. This makes perfect sense that our sense of peace starts where with what we are focusing. When we focus on the unpredicability of the events, we are apt to slip into "worry mode". But when we keep our eyes on Jesus, we have peace. 

Note it says,"All those whose thoughts are fixed on you".  Our eyes are not wandering around, our singular focus is on the Lord. There are so many distractions in our world around us that tempt us to take our eyes of Jesus. Paul says essentially the same thing in Romans 12:2 when he says, 

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewal of your mind". 

By having our eyes fixed on Jesus, we avoid "stinking thinking". We avoid rationalization and minimization of our sin. We do not cheapen God's grace by thinking it ok to sin, because God will always welcome us back!

How about you? Are you experiencing peace in your life? What are you focusing on? How can you fix your eyes on Jesus through prayer, meditation, and reading God's Word on a daily basis!  

Fix your eyes on Jesus and He will give you His perfect peace! Jesus says to his disciples after he rose from the dead, "My peace I give you not as the world gives." 

The sure cure to worry is Jesus' peace. And He gives it us free of charge!



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