Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.

A little over a year ago God gave me a vivid picture that made me very aware of my tendency to keep my eyes focused on chaos instead of him. I had been reading Isaiah 26:3 shortly before this. I felt the emphasis was to keep my mind on God and remain steadfast above all, not to be swayed by the worries or concerns of the world. The word STEADFAST was so loud in my mind. Unshakeable in my faith, concrete and immoveable in who I am in Christ. There could be no question that nothing in this life could cause me to have the slightest bit of movement out of my alignment or trust in God.

The picture was of me standing at the top of a cliff. I am terrified of heights, so this alone showed me remaining in fear and anxiety without choosing to move away from it. The cliff begins falling away right in front of me. I am wondering if the cliff will crumble right under my feet. At first I can see the base of the cliff, but as the avalanche of rock continues to crumble downward I can no longer see the bottom. The dust has slowly risen all the way to the top of the cliff to where I am. I keep my eyes on this even beyond the time that I can see the problem clearly because it has evolved into a cloud of disaster and chaos. If I stand there much longer, I too will be part of the cloud of dust, but I continue to stand there almost as if glued to the destruction. Any moment the earth under my feet could fall away, but still I remain undeterred by the possible danger of my location. I seem unable to turn away from the instability and disfunction of the hillside below me. As if I MUST keep my eyes on the mess and tragedy of my surrounding and I am completely incapable of looking around me at anything else. Finally when the situation has become desperate and I could fall down the cliff with the debris below me, I begin to look around. Behind me the entire time have been train tracks; a clear and steadfast path in the opposite direction. These tracks have been there for years and are utterly immoveable and in no danger of being affected by the avalanche happening near them. Suddenly, I’m aware that there is another direction I am supposed to focus on, one that is sure and trustworthy. I turn and walk away from the destruction and keep my eyes on the tracks that have been laid before me.

Why had I been so consumed with what was so unstable? Why couldn’t I turn my stare and focus on what was stable? There was a clear path laid ahead of me that I chose not to follow because I chose to remain focused on the crumbling cliff even when I could no longer see the problem clearly. Hopefully, now I would know better. I would keep my eyes fixed on what was sure and true, not on the instability around me. Why had I been so fooled, when I knew all along that stability was there waiting for me to take a step in that direction? At times my worry has clouded everything, when I should have been away from the edge following the steadfast tracks God had laid out for me with no fear or even concern with what was over the edge. Why am I concerned with what is unstable and temporary? 

Why do we do this? We know that if we keep our eyes on God that he will provide us peace and yet we still continue to look away. I know this to my core and yet sometimes I still continue to be swept up in whatever the world is screaming. We keep our eyes fixed on whatever screams loudest at us or is most manipulative, which most days is in any direction we could look. Constant yelling about who is right and who is wrong, whether it be within our families, work place or media. Why do we even give this chaos a moment of our gaze when we know where to look for the steadfast path? We know where truth and peace and stability is and yet we look away? We want to be free, but we keep looking in every other place than that which we know will bring us freedom.

John 8:32 You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. If the son sets you free you will be free indeed.

I urge you to pray over Isaiah 26:3 and it may help you to keep this picture in mind. I encourage all of us to keep our mind and eyes focused on what is steadfast and true instead of what is unsure and worldly. I don’t have to tell you that we will never find lasting peace in this world. If you have been around for more than 5 minutes, life has already taught you that. So once and for all let’s continue to pray that God helps us to keep our eyes focused on him. That he alone directs the steps of our life where he would have us go. I pray they would be as sure as train track laid down before us; without question we would be walking the path he has placed before us. May the assurance of laid tracks guide you where God would have you step.