THE LORD KEEPS US, THAT IS MY CONFIDENCE TODAY

The View From Above: Thoughts To Help With Everyday Life

October 21, 2026

Pastor Paul Stephens

THE LORD KEEPS US, THAT IS MY CONFIDENCE TODAY

Isaiah 26:3–4

“You will KEEP him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, For the LORD, is everlasting strength.”

Two other translations of verse 3:

“People with their minds set on You, You keep completely whole, Steady on their feet, because they keep at it and don’t quit…”

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!”

This is worth pondering and meditating on.

We all want, strive for, and long for peace.

We say to ourselves: “If I could just have peace of mind, if I could just rid myself of the turmoil in my thoughts!”

Peace of mind has to be one of the most sought-after virtues and perhaps the least experienced, I mean really experienced.

First of all, God has to be involved in our peace.

You may have seen the play on words:

“No God, no peace. Know God, know peace.”

That is so very true.

He is peace, He is our peace…and He is the one who gives us the ability for our peace of mind to be constant and sustained.

That is the point the above verse begins with…

“You Lord, will KEEP him (us) in PERFECT PEACE!”

Not just peace, but perfect peace?

This is a picture of our God, standing guard over our minds and protecting the peace that only He can produce.

The word “keep” means: To guard from danger, to stay close, to form a blockade.

I like that latter definition.

God forms a protective barrier to preserve this “perfect peace.”

The word “perfect” means: Complete soundness, safe and secure.

That is how to describe the peace that God offers each and every one of us.

There’s a big however, this peace is conditional, not automatic.

It doesn’t come about passively, only proactively when you take the necessary action.

What is that action?

Verse 4 tells us…peace, perfect peace is for those “whose mind is STAYED on the Lord.”

That is describing you and I, whose minds and thoughts are fixated on the Lord.

That is where our thoughts go…in good times and through our struggles.

It literally means to lean upon or take firm hold of something.

It describes someone whose mind is steadfast and firm and cannot be moved.

A few other translations:

“You will keep in perfect peace the steadfast of mind, because he trusts in You…”

“Those with sound thoughts You will keep in peace, in peace because they trust in You.”

So that is what we all have to work on…disciplining our mind to be stayed on the Lord.

Then, of course, comes trust…

That is the foundation of our peace.

We have peace because we trust God…that calms the storms, alleviates our fears, and gives us faith and confidence when we’re facing mountains and giants and the storms of life seem to be unrelenting.

Peace because we trust, and that produces the strength we need to prevail.

That is where our confidence lies, that is where we find security and safety.

Jesus said:

John 14:27

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”