Looking Backwards
Ray loves Philippians. I have heard him teach from it again and again. Philippians 4:6-8 is a particularly comforting passage.
Rejoice in the Lord always;
again I will say, rejoice!
Let your gentle spirit be known to all men.
The Lord is near.
Be anxious for nothing,
but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God,
which surpasses all comprehension,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-8
Lately that passage has been coming to my mind in a backwards sort of way–well, sort of. What I mean is that it has struck me lately, that at the end of the passage is the peace of God that is beyond all understanding, a peace that guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
We all want that peace, but sometimes it’s hard to remember the connection between the peace in our hearts and minds and what is at the beginning of the passage–the rejoicing.
In these verses is a great to-do list and a great list of comforts. The t0-dos and the comforts are all intertwined.
To Do List
- Rejoice. When? Always.
- Have a gentle spirit. Let people see it and feel it and hear it. Let who see it and feel and it and hear it? Everybody–my husband, my children, my parents, my siblings, my friends, the driver beside me, the lady who checks out my groceries. . . Everybody.
- Don’t be anxious. Can I be anxious about anything? No, nothing! Absolutely nothing? Absolutely nothing.
- Tell God my requests and be thankful while I do.
- Request God’s help about everything. Absolutely everything? Absolutely everything.
Comfort List
- The Lord is near.
- The peace of God will guard my heart.
- The peace of God will guard my mind.
- That peace will surpass what I can understand.
- That peace is in Christ Jesus.
I glanced out a window early in the evening yesterday and caught a glimpse of this sunset. The God Who made that sunset is all-powerful. He loves you and me. He notices everything about us. He cares about everything that we care about. He provides everything we need.
. . . casting all your anxiety on Him,
because He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7