originally posted November 10, 2024
…in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:6
After reading my morning verse recently, I found myself journaling these words: “Father, You are good. How long ago did You show me this verse? How many years since I sat at my kitchen table reading and rereading it and the verses that followed? How many times and ways since then have you shown me the truth of those verses?”
Sometime in the early nineties, I sat at the table of our newly built home, enjoying the quiet moments of my baby’s nap time. Sometimes, when she slept, I would rest or clean, but most often, I would spend some alone time with God in His Word. As a newly “revived” believer, I was hungry for the Word and eager to build/rebuild a relationship with God.
Today’s verse brought that table and time to mind, as it was there that I first remember beginning to study Philippians 4:4-7, specifically – Paul’s words, “Rejoice in the Lord always. (I will say it again: Rejoice!) 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Note: while verse eight wasn’t included in my early study, it soon followed and has rescued me from more battles than I can count.
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Philippians 4:8
God seemed to embed those words in my mind that day. Through the three decades that have followed, He has continued to faithfully ingrain1 them in my heart and to use them to help me through many turbulent days/years of this life/world. These words … have taught me to fix my eyes on God and His will … to ‘rejoice’ even when the days are hard, sad, or downright scary. The words helped me develop a deeper relationship with God, teaching me to spend time in prayer ( in every situation, by prayer and petition), talking to God (present your requests to God.), not just at Him. From there, I began learning to trust Him (And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus), to fix my thoughts on Him, and to experience His promised peace.
To this day, Paul’s words remind me that God is near, that His return is imminent, and that in and with God, I can have, know, and be filled with peace even in the tumultuous storms of this life! God’s peace is truly a peace that surpasses all understanding. It is a peace that gives strength and hope in both the good and challenging seasons; this strength and hope have led me to “re-joy-cing” in God for more than thirty years.
As I read the words again this morning, they were not new to me, but they caused my mind to stop and remember God’s goodness so many years ago and every day since to change my life from the inside out!🦋
Loving Heavenly Father, my strength and hope are from You ~ through Christ in me. Your grace and power fill me with the confident JOY to keep going when hope seems far away, and sorrows weigh me down. When I am weak, You are strong! So in my sorrow for this world and despite my concerns, please continue to help me KEEP my eyes and thoughts fixed on You – and let the flag of JOY fly high above the castle of my heart – where You alone rule and reign. May it be a clear announcement to all, that You – my God and King – are in residence here!💜 – And, to borrow from today’s devotion2 “May my life be a testament to the unshakable joy found in a relationship with You. Let this joy be my strength, a light to others, and a reflection of Your constant grace in Jesus’ name, Amen.”
