#soap # Isaiah 26 ## Title: Conditional Peace ## Scripture: (Isaiah 26:3-4) “You keep completely safe the people who maintain their faith, for they trust in you. Trust in the Lord from this time forward, even in Yah, the Lord, an enduring protector!” (NET) ## Observation: There is an uncomfortable truth that is not always taught. This is unfortunate because it leaves people discouraged when they don’t know this simple but not simplistic truth. The truth is God has a mature and whole peace for us but we have a part to play in the process. We must trust in Him. Peace doesn’t come out of nowhere. It comes from trusting in Him. Here is an example. Imagine a friend came to you and said they were giving you a bank card with $1,000,000 on it. They said they were sending you on a shopping trip. You could go to any store you wanted and they would pay for all you wanted. Your job was to not lose the card and to not forget to swipe the card at checkout. That seems simple enough. You go, shop, and have a good time. However, when you go to checkout, you leave the card in your pocket. The employee of the store asks how you are going to pay for all your stuff and you say, “Well, my friend said they were going to pay for it, but they aren’t. I don’t understand. They promised they would take care of this. I guess I can’t trust them anymore.” You say this while having the card in your pocket. When you come back to your friend, you are so angry. You say, “Why would you do that? You told me you were going to pay for it. You didn’t. I had to put all that back and it was so embarrassing. Why would you do that?” Your friend simply asks, “Did you use the card?” “No.” They ask further, “How was I supposed to pay for it if you did not use the card?” This is what God does for us. He says He will take care of us, but we have to do it His way. We have to keep our minds on Him. Our trust in Him brings us peace. ## Application: Trust the Lord. ## Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for being trustworthy.