Isaiah 26:³ The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace,
Because he trusts in You.
⁴ Trust in the Lord forever,
For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.”

The Hebrew word for “steadfast” is samak: To lean, support, uphold, rest. “Of mind” is yetser: Inclination, imagination, mind, purpose, framework. “Keep” is natsar: To guard, to keep, to observe, to preserve. “Peace” is shalom: Peace, completeness, welfare, well-being, safety, prosperity. “Rock” is tsur: Rock, Cliff, Boulder.

Charles Swindoll gave a good paraphrase of these 2 verses: “A frame of mind that is receiving support from leaning and, therefore, is being sustained, You, Lord, will watch over with infinite calm. Because he leans fully and relies upon You and none other, You, Lord God, are the everlasting support.”

But how is God a Rock for us? Many times David said God was his Rock. Psalm 18:2 ESV The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

From Gotquestions.org: “A literal rock is solid, stable, and strong. It requires force to break through, and in ancient times people sought refuge in caves and rocky terrains for safety.  In times of danger, David acknowledges that he can trust God just as someone hiding in a rocky cave would trust it for shelter (for safety from enemies, for shelter in the midst of violent storms). Trials can lead to doubts and desperation, but struggling Christians should realize that true safety lies in God’s hands. If God doesn’t deliver us from a situation, then He desires to be with us through it. Either way, we are in good hands. Even if we lose our lives, we await a new world without tears, pain, and suffering.”

When David was fleeing from Saul, he often found safety and refuge in caves. He did not have a city with high walls for protection. He had a rocky fortress in a mountain side. He trusted in that rocky cave to protect him from Saul. But it was really God that was his rocky fortress cave that he turned to for protection and safety. His God, YHWH, was an “everlasting Rock” that could provide safety for all people of all ages.

I do trust Jesus for salvation from my sins and for the hope of eternal life when I die. But my mind is not at peace like it should be. My mind is always worrying, playing the “what if” game. My mind is preoccupied with things that could go wrong or with maintenance of all the possessions that I have. My mind is often cluttered with the small things in life that don’t really matter in eternity. I just want my mind to be at rest, at peace. That requires a deeper trusting relationship with God the Father than just the assurance of salvation from sins. That requires a daily, 24/7 trust in God as my Rock, my shelter in the storms of life.

Try to picture yourself sitting safely in. a rocky cave while a tornado is ravaging the hillside outside the cave. But God is with you in the cave and will keep you safe. Your mind is at peace. Try to find that cave when you have trials, problems, and struggles.