Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:12-15 ESV)
In part one of this article, I wrote on the peace of Jesus providing hope even in the midst of trial. It is His peace that gives us the strength to endure. Such peace is not defined according to human knowledge. The peace of Jesus is found in His presence, protection and promises. As we trust in Him, the peace which surpasses human understanding will guard our heart (Philippians 4:7).
The reception of such peace comes through our declaration of faith. It is in Jesus where we can find salvation and peace with the Almighty. In our salvation, the Apostle Paul encourages us to allow the peace of Jesus to rule our heart. The response of a disciple of Jesus is to allow the King to rightfully be seated upon His throne in our heart. What does it mean to allow something to rule in our heart? To answer this question, I turn to the prophet Isaiah. In chapter twenty-six, Isaiah reveals the hope for the people who look to the Lord to strength. It is the Lord who has brought strength to His people. Under the covering of His provision the people find security. In verses three and four, the Lord gives us instruction on our response as His people.
“3 “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace,
Because he trusts in You.
4 “Trust in the Lord forever,
For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock (Isaiah 26:3-4 NASB95).”
The Lord reminds us that our minds must be steadfast. In the English the term steadfast connotes the notion of being determined, fixed and unchanged in the sense of personal efforts. While we must remain resolute in our faith to follow our Messiah, we know that we can only persevere as we lean upon the Lord for help. As we lean on the Lord, He will build us up according to His will (Romans 5:1-8). It is this idea that comes a bit closer to what we are to glean from the instruction given in Isaiah 26:3. The term steadfast is translated from the Hebrew word סָמַךְ (H5564- saw-mak’). This word means to lean, lay, rest, be upheld, lean upon. Our determination to remain steadfast can only be upheld as we lean upon the Lord. We must recognize our desperate need for His help and we must lean upon Him as He upholds us. It is the Lord who is our everlasting Rock. The firm foundation which will never be shaken (Isaiah 26:16; Hebrews 12:28). Our trust must be focused on Him. Those who place their trust in the Rock of our faith will rest in the perfect peace of our Lord.
How then do we allow the peace of Christ rule in our heart? By remaining steadfast. Trusting in the only One who can uphold us as we lean upon Him. I pray brothers and sisters that you look to the Lord for strength (Psalm 28:6-9). Lean upon the solid Rock (Psalm 18:2). Rest upon His Word (Matthew 11:28-30). Humble yourself under His authority (James 4:10). Trust in you Savior and His presence, protection and peace will guard your heart (Philippians 4:7).
- Pastor Corby
