Isaiah 26:3 Perfect Peace
This entry, Isaiah 26:3 Perfect Peace, uses an hourglass metaphor to show how the world tries to steal our peace, but we can fix our minds, second by second, on Jesus.
NOTESDAILY STRIDES
Trace Pirtle
4 min read
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You,
because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3, NKJV).
Imagine an hourglass that God created just for you. It has your name on it and is filled with perfect white Light grains of sand.
Next, God says, “Each day, I give you 86,400 Light grains of sand, each representing one second of your life for that day. You choose whether the grain of sand is light or dark during your waking hours. Each second you remain focused on Me, the grain of sand is Light. But if you focus on the troubles of the world and the enticements of the enemy, it becomes dark.”
A Typical Day: Light or Dark?
What does the bottom of the hourglass look like for you on a “typical” day? Is it predominantly Light or predominantly dark? None of us expect to reflect on the day and see perfection because we all still sin and are lured by sin.
If you aren’t a visual-type who can see all the sand in the bottom of the hourglass, just recall how you felt. Are you typically happy or depressed, anxious or calm, energized or drained? Those experiences will illuminate the grains of sand at the end of the typical day.
Dark Sand Days: The Peace-Stealers
It may be helpful to bring awareness to the dark sand days before moving to the Light days. Why? Because we can’t change something we aren’t aware of. Once we recognize how the world works to steal our peace, it’s easier to get back to the Light.
Here’s my short list of the world’s fodder for dark sand moments. I’m sure you can easily add to create a very long list. Remember, the enemy (satan) has 86,400 moments to turn us away from God and the peace that only Jesus Christ can offer.
Security and Conflict: Terrorism, nuclear threat, ongoing wars
Natural Disasters: Floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, droughts
Global Health Issues: Pandemics and other deadly diseases
Economic Concerns: Job loss, dismissal
Family Issues: Divorce, infidelity, death, major health challenge
Personal Health Issues: Physical, psychological, emotional concerns
Personal Interactions: Rude, crude, and socially unacceptable people
Political Division: Far right, far left, who has power and control?
The list goes on. The point is, from news alerts to primetime broadcasts, influencer tweets to pharmaceutical commercials, they are all designed to gain your attention and take away your peace.
Every second that we are riveted to any of these issues of the world, we are adding one more dark sand grain to the bottom of our hourglass.
You may recognize some of them from Matthew 24:6-7. Jesus warned us about them. He also told us not to be troubled by them.
Light Sand Days: God’s Perfect Peace
The prophet Isaiah made it clear how to have God’s perfect peace: we must keep our mind fixed/focused on Jesus. If staying focused on God—moment by moment—is the first prerequisite, then the second is trusting Him.
Since we live in the world, we cannot hide from the enemy’s attacks. We see the news, we experience the floods, and we experience pain and suffering; sometimes vicariously and other times our own. We have to trust that God is in control of it all.
And if we prepare ourselves and determine to remain focused on God in all aspects of our lives, we will have far fewer dark sand pebbles at the end of every day. Here are some things I do in my life:
Walk with Jesus Daily. This is more than exercise. It’s personal time with Him. I watch for Divine Appointments and Divine Interventions along the path. There’s usually someone who blesses me or that I’m able to bless when I intentionally “Shine the Light of Christ.”
Memorize Scripture Verses. I can’t tell you how many of my own dark moments were cut short because I had memorized a verse that came to me at the perfect time. Peace replaces chaos.
Fellowship with Other Believers. This isn’t always easy for me, but when I spend time with brothers or sisters in Christ at a local coffee shop or a park bench, I’m always encouraged rather than discouraged.
Pray with Your Spouse/Significant Other/Family. I like to start my day with coffee, devotional reading, and prayer with my wife. It helps align both of us with God and with each other.
Intercessory Prayer. No matter how busy we may be, there’s always time to pray for others. You don’t need to block out time on your daily planner if it just isn’t there. God knows your heart and listens even when you are driving across town, rushing from one meeting to the next, or singing in the shower.
Watch for God’s Freebies. For me, God’s freebies include beautiful sunrises, sunsets, small flowers along the path, or maybe a Good Samaritan who stops to lend a hand. Like grace, I didn’t do anything to deserve the beauty. It was just there to be appreciated.
Do Mini-Missionary Outreach. There’s always an opportunity to be an Ambassador of Christ. At work, in line at the grocery store, anywhere that you meet other people is a mini-missionary outreach moment. Every one-second smile, every five-minute conversation, is an opportunity to share love and plant seeds.
Start a Christian Blog. This is a great way to stay focused and experience God’s perfect peace. As I write these words, without concern for how many will read it, I feel the unmistakable peace that only comes from the Holy Spirit.
Concluding Thoughts
Isaiah 26:3 is a reminder that perfect peace can only come from God. It is one of His many free gifts, but to realize it, we need to keep our minds focused on Him. We need to trust that when the world seems like it’s coming apart, He is in control.
I used the hourglass as a metaphor because our time on this side of heaven is finite. We add dark grains of sand when we fix our eyes on the world or the temptations of the enemy. Or, we can add Light grains of sand for every moment we fix our eyes on Jesus and the narrow path that leads to heaven.
The ideas I presented for staying focused on God are not unique; they are simply the ones I use myself to increase the time I’m hanging out where God seems to be. And I find that any time I spend simply walking with Jesus, or doing what He tells me to do, is time that I find His perfect peace.
I pray that you find your own pathway to His perfect peace in a chaotic world.
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Here are a few related journal entries in Daily Strides:
Daily Christian Reflections
Walking With Jesus
© 2026. Dr. Trace Pirtle, All rights reserved.
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