Perfect, What?

When you use the word perfect, do you mean it with sarcasm, or with genuine heart? Perfect in my vocabulary tends to lean to the sarcastic tone. You know, something is not how you want it and you say “perfect”, with a tone of “oh my goodness, are you kidding me!” Anyone else?

Or perhaps you want things to be perfect, in an unperfect world might I add. Are you possibly an over-achiever who strives to meet everyone’s expectations with perfection? Do you realize that you are seeking perfection? Or, maybe you are the cynic of cynics, you do not believe anything will ever be perfect because all you have experienced is less than optimal.

The thing to know is that, thankfully, God is not confined into the boxes of our experiences. We must remember that when we read His word, especially when we come across a passage that speaks about His perfection. We can not fully grasp it if we come with our earthly, unmet expectations and experiences.

Enter my Bible reading today in Isaiah. I started in chapter 26 frankly because it was the YouVersion verse of the day text. I opened the app to read and was captured by Isaiah 26:3. It simply says “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” Thank you, Lord, for that reminder! You keep me in perfect peace! That led me down a trail of opening the entire chapter and reading through it. Good stuff for encouraging yourself in the Lord!

At first, I didn’t really focus on the word "perfect" stated in chapter 26, verse 3. I was just so encouraged and wanted more! I could have looked over at chapter 27, but I took a page from my Pastor’s book and wondered what Isaiah 25 had to say. He has led us through Psalm 25 since this year is 2025. It has been so very deep and meaningful. So, I jump into reading chapter 25 and it too was lifting my soul. I read through it a couple of times, since there’s only twelve verses, and then just sat pondering verse one: 

“Lord, you are my God;    

I will exalt you and praise your name,

for in perfect faithfulness    

you have done wonderful things,    

things planned long ago.”

The words “perfect faithfulness” just about wrecked me! I couldn’t quite get past the feeling of “Wow!”

When I look over the whole verse, I get to take my heart through a beautiful process. I can proclaim, “Lord, you are my God.” I get to make this choice! He is mine, personal, for me and chosen. Don’t you like being told you have been chosen? So does our Lord!

Then I move to “I will exalt you and praise your name.” I get to cause my heart and mind to raise Him above all else in my life and give Him praise. It is a beautiful sacrifice to take time to focus on the Lord and tell Him how much you love Him. Too often we may go through the motions during this part. We need to truly take in and think about how good He is.

Then comes the part that our flesh my read and go “skkkkur!” (insert record screeching sound effect). When we read “for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.” We have a choice to make now. Will we bring our humanity and experiences to this verse or will we perceive it through the truth of who He is? Will we look at God’s track record above our own, or our family’s, or our friend’s, etc.?

Just sit for a minute and think about what “perfect faithfulness” looks like. No one else could ever achieve it. I cannot. You cannot.

God, our Father, can only fulfill His word. He cannot and does not come up short.

We can often think that He isn’t ever going to bring break through, or doesn’t seem to understand how we feel in the waiting. Though this could not be further from the truth. God has plans for us. He has a timeline, that isn’t like ours. He has always been faithful and He will never stop, no matter what the circumstances look like. And to circle back to Isaiah 26:3, “He will keep in PERFECT peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You(Him).”

Perfect faith only exists in God, our Father, the great I AM.

Perfect peace is only found in Him.

Spend some time with your Daddy God, exalt Him, praise Him and set you mind on who He is!

As we say in our house, “love love” which means see you and love you!

Blessings friends!!

"I'm not perfect!"- Leigh Ann Salazar