Trust in Jesus

In a world overwhelmed by unrest and uncertainty, true peace and wholeness are found when we trust in Jesus, our everlasting Rock.

Our nation is on edge. The number of stressors that have triggered the anxiety of many Americans continues to rise. There is so much tension in the land that you could cut it with the proverbial knife. We have shootings, protests, vitriolic rhetoric, and a lack of moral leadership. One can’t help but wonder how long before the country implodes.

Living in Alignment

We are living in difficult times, but we still have the power to respond with Christ-like character. The man Jesus from the village of Nazareth lived in a time of social unrest: there was political and religious division, occupation and oppression by the hands of a foreign power, and speculation about the birth of the Messiah—who was supposed to deliver Israel from the Gentile powers and restore the nation to its former glory. Despite these sociological pressures, Jesus grounded Himself in His relationship with the Father. Consequently, His spiritual, mental, and emotional well-being remained aligned with the Word of God and the Spirit of God.

Our challenge today is that we have taken our eyes off Christ and are living in a state of misalignment. When we are out of alignment, it spills over into every facet of our lives. Thus, it behooves us to stay rooted in the Word and the Spirit so that we can live as integrated beings who are spiritually, psychologically, and physically whole.

This holistic alignment is reflected in the Hebrew word shalom, which speaks to the peace of God being reflected in every area of our lives. It conveys safety, prosperity, health, human flourishing, and so much more. But the shalom of God is experienced as we remain faithful in walking in the way of Jehovah, the Lord.

A Promise of Peace

The people of Judah found themselves in a similar situation when they were living in captivity because of their failure to obediently and faithfully trust in Jehovah. As a result, their economy, military, and government collapsed. But Isaiah promised a future time when Israel would return to Jehovah with wholehearted devotion and experience His shalom in their lives and land. Isaiah declared, “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

1. God’s Peace Releases Unending Flourishing. The word translated as “steadfast” is two sides of the same coin. On the active voice side, it means to lean on something or someone. On the passive voice side, it means to be supported by something or someone.^[1] In the situation the children of Judah were facing, those steadfast of mind leaned on Jehovah by trusting in Him. Therefore, He would reward their trust by returning them to a state of absolute peace (shalom).

The peace that Isaiah spoke of was, first and foremost, a peace from war and all its associated traumas. But as Carr explains, “the root meaning of the verb šālēm better expresses the true concept of šālôm. Completeness, wholeness, harmony, fulfillment, are closer to the meaning.”^[2] Isaiah was promising God’s unbridled and unending flourishing. All they needed to do was trust Jehovah by worshiping Him alone, i.e., leaning on Him.

2. God’s Peace Requires Unending Faith. In true prophetic tradition, after offering Judah the promise of God’s absolute shalom, Isaiah exhorted the nation to respond affirmatively to the promise. They were commanded to trust in Jehovah nonstop. They were not to trust Him today and stop trusting Him tomorrow. He was their permanent Defender and Protector, so they would find permanent safety in Him from rival nations and other threats.

Jehovah was their Rock, Mountain, and Stronghold. In His protective custody, they would receive the type of peace that covered every category of life. They simply had to consistently lean on Him.

Jesus Is Jehovah

Isaiah’s words echo to us today, beckoning us to trust in Jehovah. Some are retreating to the corners of the Democratic or Republican parties, others to the corners of their race or ethnicity, and others are unsure what to do. But in Jesus we have an everlasting Rock. He invites everyone who is wearied by the pressures of life to lean on Him. He won’t let us down; He will hold us up.

Jesus is the same God that Isaiah exhorted Israel to put their trust in. He offers shalom to the weary and burdened (Matt. 11:28). He offers peace to the distressed and discouraged (John 14:27). He offers provision to the poor and needy (Matt. 6:31-33). Let us put our trust in Him.

Dr. Isaac Hayes is an Assistant Pastor at the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago, Illinois, and author of Men After God’s Heart: 10 Principles of Brotherly Love. He also has a Doctor of Ministry degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Follow Dr. Hayes on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube at @RevIsaacHayes.

^[1] Willem VanGemeren, ed., New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1997), 270.

^[2] G. Lloyd Carr, “2401 שָׁלֵם,” in Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, ed. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 931.