"You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind (both its inclination and character) is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You."
Psalm 26:3, Amplified Bible
This verse is part of a song, which is to be sung Judah after God's people have been delivered from the hand of their enemies. Peace that passes understanding is in the tune--humming it daily delivers the dose!
It has been some time since I posted; a fall full of many commitments, followed by holiday preparations, plans, and commitments left me flattened. No, I wasn't on the floor or in my bed or anything. Just dead-dog tired and burnt out. Feeling like I had no signal strength left for one more thing. Thin, dry, raggedy--whatever adjective you choose, it is easy to get the picture.
This feeling of emotional fraying hits us in many seasons of life. Happy events, heavy heartaches, great victories, and terrible defeats all deplete our tanks. We can lose sight of God's love as we keep trucking. We might put our heads down and finish our row, but we feel no sense of peace or joy.
The prescriptive directions in this verse offer hope. How do you keep the inclination of your mind on God?
1. Remind yourself of His character in your prayers--address Him as He is--Holy, Sovereign, Almighty, Alpha & Omega, Loving Father, Blessed Redeemer, Good Shepherd, Savior, King, Wellspring of Hope, Life, and Change, Lover of your Soul. Begin your morning prayers with this list, and keep expanding it. At night, before you sleep, point out how certain aspects of God's character made a difference in your day ("Thank you Lord for being Almighty, and keeping me safe on my travels today. Thank you for reminding me how much you love me").
2. Turn your mind to God when troubles, big or small, arise. Pray through them. He is in control.
How do you keep the character of your mind fixed on God?
1. Let your character of Christ flow through your thoughts and actions. The Son of God was gentle, kind, patient, loving, joyful, peaceful, righteous, relational, caring, powerful, honest, open and forthright. These are just a few of the ways Scripture describes Jesus' character through His words and actions. The pattern of His character should shape ours.
2. When your enemy Satan speaks lies (in your mind) about you or God's incredible love, purpose, and plans for you, stop listening. Tell him to shut up and go back to hell where he belongs.
If you keep your mind's inclinations and character firmly planted on God and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, you will able to commit your plans to Him, lean on Him, and hope confidently in Him. You will be given the legs you need to walk in peace.