3 You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. 4 Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal. Isaiah 26:3-4 | NIV84

As I drove home in the massive downpour, orange and white cones littered the highway. Even with the windshield wiper blades going at full blast, the lines on the road were blurry. The big city is under a major overhaul of its road system and is in the process of building multiple new overpasses. The highway didn’t look familiar with portions of it closed off, the redirected traffic lanes and construction equipment. Concrete barriers lined both sides of the 2 lane highway I was traveling in. It was nearly impossible to see the road I had once been familiar with through the downpour and the construction work. So, I sat up straight, gripped the wheel with two hands, and kept my eyes steady, focusing directly in front of me. There were cars all around and the driver directly behind me wasn’t happy. I could tell because he was traveling way too close and even tried switching lanes to navigate around me, but there wasn’t anywhere I could go. I slightly let off the gas as to give him passage, but the car beside me slowed down as well and then another car came up from behind me. I didn’t take my eyes off the road and neither did I put my primary focus on the cars around me. I kept steadfast, focusing forward to where I could see a break in clouds up ahead. Passing through tight corners, trekking across old highway boundaries and following the designated lane, my focus remained on the light colored sky up ahead. All I wanted to do was get out of the rain, get past the construction and continue the trip home. I wasn’t nervous, just very focused, unwavering in the goal I had set out to accomplish – to get my family, who was sleeping in the truck, home safe.

As soon as I reached the break in the clouds, the rain suddenly disappeared much like how it does in the South. It started and ended suddenly. I noticed by the time I had left the construction zone that most of the cars that were traveling right alongside me had started to disperse. I eased my foot off the gas to give them passage, and to give myself some breathing room, when suddenly, all of the cars in front and beside me slammed on their brakes. I had put enough distance between them and myself so that I didn’t have to brake harshly, just gently, but then unexpectedly, I found myself braking harder and swerving out of the way. A truck towing a trailer had a sudden blowout and pieces of the tire burst out onto the road causing everyone to swerve out of the way. As I passed the truck with the trailer, I glanced to my left, and he looked okay, so I continued traveling thankful for God’s protection over my family and I. Not once did I feel nervous or anxious, I just remained completely focused.

I have been putting the above Scripture to memory, mulling over every word and trying to understand it deep within my heart. I looked up the definition of what steadfast means because for some reason, for many years, I have misunderstood this Scripture. I had always thought that God would keep me steadfast and then give me peace, but that’s not what it says. Read it again, and carefully this time.

“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3 | NIV84

Did you catch it? “…him whose mind is steadfast…”. Google defines the word steadfast as resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering. The meaning of the word steadfast in simple terms is unwavering. Now, to better understand what the Scripture is saying, I substituted the word steadfast with unwavering. Now, read it again.

“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is unwavering, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3 | NIV84 (underlines mine)

I have been asking Jesus to explain to me what it means to be unwavering. I wanted to understand it in my heart, for it’s meaning to dissolve deep down within me. I looked up several other Scriptures about the mind and discovered that obtaining peace from the Lord takes some effort on our behalf. Yes, God does help us, but we need to be trusting, willing and focused.

Think about when I was driving home how focused and determined I was. I had no control over what was going on around me, the rain, the construction or the blow out. The only thing I had control over was my focus. God took care of the rest and gave me peace throughout the whole process. Our minds tend to wander thus creating anxiety, fear, doubt, worldly thinking and all kinds of other things that can misdirect us. Sometimes, it has to be a moment-by-moment thing where we have to force ourselves to refocus on God and all of the wonderful things He has said within His Word. Keep your focus and put your trust in Him, even if you do not fully understand. He will bring about the understanding you need in due time.

I like how verse 3 talks about experiencing perfect peace by staying focused and trusting in the Lord and then how verse 4 boldly declares to trust in the LORD forever, confirming this is a very important thing and a key to unlocking peace (and many other most wonderful blessings).

4 Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal. Isaiah 26:4 | NIV84

Rock is capitalized in my Bible and I think that’s very appropriate. God is the only consistent, unmovable part of our lives. He is the only One who will consistently stand by you and who will never leave you. He never changes and His love is unwavering… keep your mind consistently focused on Him and Him only. Sometimes, it can be hard to remain focused on the Lord when things around you are unstable, but remain unwavering and trust Him. God will help you and He will keep you in perfect peace through the giving of Himself.