“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3 ESV).
Isaiah gave this promise to Judah during a time of great political instability, with Assyria threatening their borders and Babylon looming on the horizon. The people were tempted to put their confidence in armies, kings, and alliances, but Isaiah pointed them back to God. This verse appears in a prophetic “song” looking ahead to the day when God would establish His kingdom and His people would find true security in Him. The Hebrew phrase is literally “shalom, shalom”—repeated for emphasis. This was not just the absence of conflict, but complete well-being, wholeness, and rest found only in the Lord. He Himself would keep His people in this perfect peace as they fixed their thoughts on Him and placed their trust in Him.
We long for this kind of peace today, don’t we? The world offers temporary calm through distractions or denial, but only God gives true peace. Isaiah teaches that this peace is not something we manufacture—it is something God Himself “keeps” us in when our minds are stayed on Him. That means pulling our thoughts away from anxious self-talk and choosing to turn them towards the Lord in prayer.
The apostle Paul echoed this truth: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6–7). Christ Himself is our peace. As we surrender every anxious thought to Him and keep trusting in His promises, He fills us with His true, enduring, and perfect peace.
PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for promising to keep us in perfect peace when our minds are stayed on You. Forgive us when we let our thoughts run wild with worry instead of resting in You. Help us turn every anxious thought into prayer, trusting that You will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Keep us in Your “shalom, shalom” today. In Jesus’ name, amen.