EXPERIENCING GOD'S PEACE

Philippians 4:4-7 says, "Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." Paul is now encouraging the church in Philippi to rejoice in the Lord always. The word rejoice comes from the word joy, which means to have an overwhelming internal sense of peace and contentment in the midst of any circumstances. The opposite of rejoicing is worry. Paul gave two major points to overcome worries so that the believers in Philippi can rejoice in every circumstance. First, they should not worry because the Lord Jesus is coming soon. When He returns, all their suffering will cease, and they will be with Him forever. Secondly, their faith in God through prayer assures them that God helps them in every need that they have. When they pray, He immediately answers their prayers; therefore, they must pray with thanksgiving. 

When we have complete confidence in God that He is coming back and that He answers our prayers according to His sovereign plan, we will always rejoice in the Lord, regardless of the circumstances we face. The solution to our worries is our faith in God. When we worry about our future, we must trust God that He has our future in His hands, and then we will experience an inner sense of peace and contentment in Him, which is what we call joy. When we are worry about finances, we must trust God that He provides for everything that we need, and then we will experience an inner sense of peace and contentment in Him. When we worry about our health, we must trust God that He will take care of us, and then we will experience an inner sense of peace and contentment in Him. When we worry about relationships, we must trust God that He is the God of reconciliation and can change hearts, and then we will experience an inner sense of peace and contentment in Him. Our complete trust in God leads us to rejoice in every circumstance that we face.

In this Christmas season, we must completely trust God in every circumstance that we face so that we can experience His joy in this season. When we start to worry, we must immediately pray and put our complete trust in God, and then the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) What is the opposite of joy? What must I do when I begin to worry about something? How can I experience an inner sense of peace and contentment in the Lord?

Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, thank you for helping me to understand that my complete confidence in you that you will take care of me overcomes any of my worries. When I begin to worry about anything, please help me to pray immediately and trust you so that I can overcome my worries and experience your peace that guards my heart and mind. Thank you that are always being with me and for me. In your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.