Keep Your Mind on God

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3 ESV

In a story subtitled “After a mental health crisis, a former local athlete discovered the secret to finding peace amid the chaos,” the writer said, “Jesse Cody was a man at a crossroads. ‘There was a lot of insecurity, depression, really just kind of feeling like I was a failure in life,’ Cody remembered. ‘I was afraid to go into therapy. I was embarrassed and ashamed by the things I was going through. I really started thinking the best option for me was to take my own life.’ But after a moment of clarity at his 40th birthday party, Cody chose a different path -- quite literally. ‘I started reading about the story of the Appalachian Trail and, boy, that just struck me in the biggest way. Like a lightning bolt,’ he said. ‘Three months later, I headed down to Georgia with my life in a backpack, and I stepped on Springer Mountain, and I started walking.’ Twenty-two hundred miles later, Cody stepped off that trail in Maine and into a new life's mission.” That new mission was to start the organization Hike the Good Hike to help others find peace amid the chaos. 

And, you know, when it comes to chaos, one thing is certain… it’s a part of life that every person will experience. Fortunately for the believer though, we have the promise that God keeps the person “whose mind is stayed” on Him “in perfect peace.” Which means, the person who trusts God will experience chaos in a way that’s different from the world. The world will despair, fret or be afraid when mayhem strikes, but the person who trusts in the Lord will have a heart and mind that is perfectly still, serene, quiet, and free from all anxiety because they know that God is in COMPLETE control. And because God is in COMPLETE control (no matter how it may appear), the one whose mind is stayed or fixed on God will have a calmness of spirit that cannot be explained but only felt. 

So, if you’re at a crossroads today and in need of the perfect peace that only God can give, remove any sin or barrier that prevents you from keeping your mind focused on Him my friend. And then seek Him with your whole heart and rest in the blissful tranquility that only comes from a right relationship with the Father.

Heavenly Father, thank You for promising to give all those who keep their hearts and minds on You perfect peace. Lord, please help us to be steadfast in mind that we might never reach the point where we are at a crossroads. Help us to trust in You at all times and to keep our eyes, minds, and hearts on You. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!