It started off like any other Friday, until later when it became a day that I would never forget. What came, I neither expected nor could have imagined. That evening, I got the call that my mother of 8 kids and 18 grandchildren, had a heart attack in her sleep and was gone. I reacted in total disbelief. I couldn’t and wouldn’t accept it. I responded to my wife with a plea, “Please don’t say that”, but the tremble in her voice assured me of the reality of it all. I had just called two days prior and everything appeared great. This couldn’t be happening to me. As the youngest of my siblings, I am guilty of being a momma’s boy…this tragedy floored me…left me in total dismay.
I’m sure each one of us has had tragedies that came as a total shock to us, ones that we always knew we would never be able to handle. That was mine. The only Scripture that replayed in mind comes from Isaiah 26:3, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee because he trusteth in Thee.” (KJV). Have you ever experienced a tragedy like the one I had, or do you dread a day like that one? At those times, scriptures like that one seem like the last thing we want to hear; they appear so easy yet feel so impossible in the midst of tragedies that knock us to the floor. The promise of the Scripture says He will keep us in perfect peace as long as our mind is stayed on Him. The word stayed is used as a continuous action, it could also mean…fixed, focused, abide and remain, adhering firmly or devotedly. The word is so powerful but impossible to do without the next part – “because he trusteth in Thee”. We will not stay focused on someone we do not trust.
When tragedy hit my flesh, it bombarded my thoughts with guilt, anger, depression, and so much more. The Spirit reminded me of the amazing promise, that if I keep my mind stayed on Him and trust in Him, He would give me perfect peace. The peace that surpasses all understanding overtook me as I fixed my mind on His promise in Isaiah 26:3. I was comforted by the truth that God was not shocked by the tragedy, but that He was weaving it into His glorious plan. His promises are as sure as He is – they are never-failing nor unending. Just as He kept my mind and heart in perfect peace in the midst of a tragedy, the God of all comfort and peace will also keep your mind and heart in perfect peace through Christ Jesus.
Make the decision today and every day to keep your mind stayed on Jesus and trust in Him. Hardships and tragedies are inevitable – make the choice to trust in the Lord and allow Him to keep your mind in perfect peace.
