Does your mind always stay in perfect peace? Mine neither. How’s that peace even possible?
Isaiah 26:3 tells us it is. By keeping our mind focused on God and trusting Him—in every circumstance. Having peace in our souls as the storms of life rage around us. This isn’t something we can do in our flesh. It only happens by God’s Spirit at work in our spirits.
I’ve been mediating on Psalm 23 recently, for a new creative course I’ll be releasing later this summer. So that influenced my thoughts on this passage also. We’ll dig deep into those Psalms 23 meditations in that course. Watch for it! Today, just take the words of Psalm 23 with you, as we look at Isaiah 26:3.
So why am I journaling in Isaiah today, when I’m working on Psalm 23? Because I’m creating along with Jenna Burnes’ Encounters in Colour this week. This page is inspired by Casey Turner’s session on Lead Me Home and Isaiah 26:3. Isaiah’s perfect peace, literally Shalom Shalom, ties in perfectly with the restful place of abode, the home, that we are guided (lead) to by our Shepherd in Psalm 23. As usual my mind took my creation down a different path than the inspiration. Here’s a bit of my process. (Video/ YouTube to come.)
With the thoughts of peace, I broke the page with tranquil blues, before having any idea of where I’d go in this creative time. While spraying ink and meditating on those passages, I envisioned a brick wall going up the sides, a wall of fear that keeps me from that Perfect Peace He desires to lead me to.
I saw roses growing on those walls, covering that fear. I could only think of one place in God’s Word that talks of roses, the Rose of Sharon in the Song of Songs. So I looked it up. The only other mention of roses is just a few chapters later than Casey’s reference, in Isaiah 35, and again they are associated with Sharon, a lush plain on the Mediterranean, known for its fertility.
This took me back to Psalm 23, and those green pastures—lush, comfortable, place of new growth, to rest and recline, our dwelling place in Jesus. The place of Shalom Shalom—by the stream of still waters. The blue down the center would stay, as that calm stream.
My meditations continued on how we receive God’s perfect peace in even the stormy waters of life. Of course, that is through His Spirit working through His Word in our hearts. So I covered the page with words, just as His Word covers our lives—through the good and the bad.
I decided to fill in my “green pastures” with roses tissue paper. Forget the thorns, this is a lush comforting restful place. Rather think of the significance of Roses. These precious blossoms have the highest healing ability of all the flowers, especially emotionally. Truly a fragrance of peacefulness, reminiscent of those healing roses on the fertile, lush plain of Sharon.
I typed and printed from the computer the words I want on this page: Shalom Shalom in Hebrew and English, Perfect Peace, Isaiah 26:3. Next I needed a focal point, representing me in this place of Shalom. I thought of a fish in the river, a Jesus fish, in those still waters of tranquil blue. But then my mind remembered a coaching session I’d had years ago, during my divorce. She had me envision floating down calm waters in an inner tube. Just trusting God and going with His flow—a place of Shalom. So inner tube it is.😊 Even if it looks out of place here, it has related significance to me.
This page took a long time of meditating on these passages, and working out how to illustrate what I saw in my spirit. Working in metaphors, with everything having a relational meaning is the way my mind works. This page had a messy midpoint (actually near the end) when I thought I hated it and wouldn’t be able to rescue it. That it wouldn’t portray what I envisioned. But I just reminded myself to trust the process, and it’s worth it even if the finished product isn’t pretty art. But in the end, I love it.❤️
How would you artistically represent Isaiah 26:3? Show us over on our Creative Community group!
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Living Coram Deo & freely whole
SDG!
~ Liberty—Life Restoration & Therapeutic Creativity Coach
Providing Soul-healing, beauty from ashes content through Creativity & Coaching—to empower you to live a life that is Freely Whole—spirit, soul, and body—in Jesus!
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