Having Peace & Purposeful Perception
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee,because he trusted in Thee.”~ Isaiah 26:3 KJV
That verse hangs on the wall directly across from my bed. The picture (not shown due to copyright) is an original illumination, given to us as a wedding gift over 40 years ago. At the most difficult of times, I would look and say that verse over and over until it sunk into my heart.
The amplified classic version gives more insight into what that means: Isaiah 26:3, saying of God:
You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mindis stayed on You,because he commits himself to You, leans on You,and hopes confidently in You.
Then, when looking up Isaiah 26:3 I was drawn to the Passion Translation and noticed the footnotes.
"Perfect, absolute peace surrounds thosewhose imaginations are consumed with you;they confidently trust in you.”
~ Isaiah 26:3
In the footnotes of Isaiah 23:6 in The Passion Translation a ‘steadfast mind,’ the Hebrew word “is yêtser. According to the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon, the Hebrew word yêtser means “imagination” that forms and frames up. Imagination frames up one’s reality. It is unfortunate that many today have rejected the God-created imagination that each of us possesses. Our imagination must be set apart for God and continually made holy. The imagination, both good and evil, is a frequent concept in the Bible…”
Years ago I did a word study on the Hebrew word for the way we view or think of things and how we use our imagination. (https://biblehub.com/hebrew/3336.htm)It is the word:
Yetser ~ It means: ‘a form framing, purpose. It is how we ‘frame’ things in our mind. It is the intentions of our hearts and minds, the way we perceive things.
How we view this current situation that is both global and personal is so important. There is much unknown and unseen, and yet the threat is real enough to bring the world into a forced rest. More than ever I need the mind of Christ. It is the time to seek the Lord. To humble ourselves and pray.
“Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” ~ 2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT
Philippians 4:6-8 The Passion Translation (TPT)
Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing.
Be saturated in prayer throughout each day,
offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude.
Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace
that transcends human understanding,
will make the answers known to you through Jesus Christ.
So keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real,
honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful,
pure and holy, merciful and kind.
And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God,
praising him always.