I love Isaiah 26:3. “You will keep in perfect peace the one whose mind is stayed on You for he trusts in You.” Here we have the key concepts: mind set, trust and peace. God’s word is so awesome! I had a great time researching this verse. When Isaiah describes a mind “stayed on” God, he is using a Hebrew word, “samak”. The meaning of this word is rich. My mind should be “propped” on God; “lean upon”; “rest myself on”; “upheld by”; “sustained by”. When trying to understand the full meaning of the original word, it can help to look for other places in the Bible where the same Hebrew word is used. For example, “samak” appears in Song of Solomon: “Sustain [samak] me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love.” (2:5) There is a fantastic story in Isaiah that illustrates ‘samak’ perfectly for us. The backstory is also found in 2 Kings 18 and 2 Chronicles 32. The Assyrian superpower has swept across the middle east, defeating and assimilating every nation in its path. Now tiny Judah is under attack and Jerusalem is under siege. Hezekiah is a godly king and he is calling on his people to trust God in the face of an impossible enemy. The Assyrian commander calls out to Hezekiah, in the hearing of all his people, “On what are you basing this confidence of yours? You say you have strategy and military strength but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending…” (Isaiah 36:4-5, NIV) “On what do you rest this confidence of yours? Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? On whom do you now rely?” Then, verse 6, “Look now, you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces a man’s hand and wounds him if he leans [samak] on it.” Imagine a person with a staff. They lean on it for support. They use it to defend themselves. What if the staff is made of the wrong material? What if they are depending on the wrong staff? Firstly, this verse says it will splinter. It is not strong enough to be a support or defense. Secondly, it will wound me. The very thing that I am leaning on [samak] for support and protection actually hurts me. Is my mind stayed on things that are too weak to support, defend, help me? If I tend to trust my own strength, resources, ability to manipulate, then the very things that I am leaning on for strength will actually harm me. The only One that I can ‘samak’ on is Jesus. If my mind is “stayed on” Him, I will be secure. We need to be meditating on Him. We need to be building spiritual disciplines into the habits of our daily lives that build our capacity for knowing God. Dwell on Jesus, fill your thoughts with Him. (This is an excerpt from a message I shared at a women's retreat this past weekend.)
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AuthorsWe are a pastoral couple named Stefan & Heidi König. We have many years of experience in various ministries, and are thankful that God has given us this property to use as a way to bless others who need a place to relax and reconnect with Him. Kingfisher Spiritual Direction
Direct your heart to Jesus and restore your soul. If you need to hear from God, to grow deeper with Him, consider spiritual direction. An ancient discipline of soul care, Heidi is trained to prayerfully lead you in this practice. Archives
January 2018
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