“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:3 ESV
After opening our pool yesterday we discovered a colony of critters called Water Boatman. These tiny bug babies blanketed the pool. Also, with these water bugs comes their biting enemy, Backswimmers. Backswimmers eat Water Boatman, and the Water Boatman eats algae. Fortunately, these bugs are unable to live in chlorinated water so they are now dead. Unfortunately, they are still in the pool so we are unable to enjoy the water!
In comparison, if I have thousands of tiny things bugging me it is impossible to enjoy the clear waters of peace. When thoughts, like algae, grow into worry they feed my insecurities and the enemy of my soul pounces at every opportunity. What creates an environment for distraction and worry making me vulnerable to enemy attacks? Lack of trust in and focus on God. In the verse from Isaiah the person whose mind is stayed on God, the one who trusts Him, has peace. So, if peace is not present then I am not focused on God nor do I trust Him. The evidence is in the state of mind. Therefore, once the pool cover of my mind is lifted and I recognize the bugs exist (anxiety and worry = not trusting God) I purpose to shock the thought pool through confession and repentance.
In other words, there is hope! God wants us to have perfect peace and has shared his formula of grace. He then proceeds to sanctify the water with His Word, cleaning out the old thoughts and pouring in truth. He renews the mind, changing us from the inside out. Our part is allowing Him to remove the cover and examine our hearts. When I first saw the insects in the pool I immediately wanted to re-cover the pool and pretend they did not exist. It was overwhelming to confront the reality of the problem. But, the only way we will be able to enjoy the pool this year is to do the work and clean out the bugs, one scoop at a time. Praise God, the masterful skimmer of dross! 1 John 1:9 promises, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” What a privilege it is to be transformed into the likeness of the Prince of perfect Peace!
havhope.com 