Day 3 - Week 62 - Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

"which passeth all understanding..." 

Statements like this remind us that there are some things we just won't understand completely.  We will experience them, through the grace of God, but we just can't truly understand.  In this instance, I think Paul is telling us that while we will experience the peace of God when we place our cares in His hands, we can't understand or explain the depth of the complete peace that God imposes to us.  It is unlike the peace of the world (as Jesus told His disciples), that comes and goes with various circumstances.  God's peace carries us through all conditions, no matter what. 

It is impossible to explain to someone who has not entered into a trusting relationship with God, who has not experienced the true peace of God when it seems incomprehensible to be at peace in a situation of turmoil or sadness, that this deep, abiding peace is real and available to all. 

Just as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:18, that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who don't believe, the understanding of this peace is beyond reach for those who have not come to the knowledge of salvation through the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. Read this verse in the paraphrase furnished by The Message:

The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out.

"This is the way God works..." a way that reserves His most special gifts to His children until the point of their acknowledgement of Him as their loving Father.  His gifts of true peace, and subsequently, abiding joy.  You can't explain it, but the Holy Spirit is ready to give these gifts to anyone who surrenders their will to His, their heart to Him. 

Day 2 - Week 62 - Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

"The peace of God", does that sound familiar?  Does it bring back to you another verse that we have already learned?  For me, I hear the words of Jesus, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let not your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27...way back on Week 25!)

Just as Jesus told his disciples that He was leaving them with a peace unlike they had ever known, that would alleviate their troubled hearts and calm their fears, Paul reiterates to us that when we deposit all of our concerns into the very capable hands of our loving God, that we will experience God's peace, a peace that surpasses any sense of calm that we may have had before, a peace that truly is incomprehensible to those who have not entered into a relationship of trust with God. 

Robert J. Morgan states,

This isn't just the peace God gives; it's the peace He enjoys, His own internal dimensions of peace.  It's the peace of Christ Himself...

...It's beyond our ability to understand it or to explain it to others.  When we do as God commands here, we're promised an inner composure utterly unexplainable and inexplicable.

Think about the peace of Christ.  In the midst of scorn, rebuke, and terrible punishment, He remained at peace.  That peace came because He knew, completely and without a doubt, who He was and where He was headed.  He saw beyond the cross and trusted His Father to do what He had told Him He would. 

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  - Hebrews 12:2

That's the kind of peace I want in my life...that no matter what the course, I remain confident of the joy that is set before me.  That I have placed every worldly care and concern in my Father's hands and am trusting Him to bring me through.  I believe that is what Jesus did in Gethsemane...he gut-wretchedly poured out His human concerns of pain and, more desperately, his fear of separation from God, into His Father's hands and He came out of that time confirmed of God's absolute faithfulness to Him.  He could then go forward in confidence and with peace. 

And the ultimate result..."joy"!

Day 1 - Week 62 - Peace/Joy

We'll continue adding to our verses of joy with the last verse of our Philippians 4 grouping.  This is another section of Bible verses that seem to build on each other...and the last one is one of the great ones.  I always hesitate to say that one verse or another is "my favorite" because I know that every word given to us by God through Holy Scripture is important and vital.  But it is true that some come to us at times when we need them so much that they embed themselves in our souls and we find ourselves leaning on them again and again.  This is one of those verses for me and one that I have shared many times with others.

But it is the beginning of a new week, and we must first review where we have already been.  The beauty of our journey continues, as we look back and as we anticipate what is coming!  On the Appalachian Trail we would now be in Connecticut, hiking through the Housatonic River Valley.  Doesn't this scene look peaceful?  It makes me think of Psalm 23..."He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul."

So let's look back and then we'll start moving forward again...

Obedience (10)
2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
Lamentations 3:40 Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern the good, pleasing and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:11 Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord.
Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in affliction, be persistent in prayer.
Romans 12:18 If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone.
2 Corinthians 9:7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Hebrews 10:25 "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." (NKJV)
Proverbs 1:7 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction."
Proverbs 15:1 "A gentle word turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath."

The Holy Spirit's Role in our Lives (6)
Ephesians 5:18 "And don't get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled with the Spirit."
Ephesians 5:19 "Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making music in to the Lord in your hearts."
Ephesians 5:20 "Giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Ephesians 5:21 "Submitting to one another in the fear of Christ."
Galatians 5:22 "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."
2 Timothy 1:14 "Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you...guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us."

Joy: God's Kind of Happiness (12)
Psalm 118:24 "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"
Philippians 4:5 "Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near."
Philippians 4:6 "Do not worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."

And now Philippians 4:7 -

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (KJV)

This is one of those verses that I first learned in the King James Version and I just cling to that wording.  But if you prefer another, feel free to substitute!  I do love the way The Message paraphrases this verse,

"Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."   

And I also really like hearing it through the words of the Hebrew Names Bible,

"The shalom of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Messiah Yeshua." 

Isn't that beautiful?  Only a quick note of commentary on our verse and then I'll close for today.  Note that the verse starts with "And."  This is key to realizing that this verse ties directly to the conditions of the previous verses we've already studied.  Look above and read Philippians 4:4, 5, and 6 and then immediately add to it verse 7.  When we do that, it's clear that when we do the things we are instructed to in the first three verses, then verse 7 will be the result. 

So, "Peace/Joy"...can you have one without the other?  I know a few people who seem to revel in turmoil, but I think "seem to" explains that misperception.  The people that I witness who seem to be truly joyful are those who are also peacemakers.  They go about their lives living out Romans 12:18 (remember that one?), "If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone."  They exhibit an inner peace that doesn't seem natural at times, and with that peace they share joy. 

On this National Day of Prayer, please join me and so many others in praying for our nation, that we, as a nation "under God", recognize that our multitude of blessings have come from His hand to be a light to the world.  This day was established in 1952 by President Harry Truman and formalized in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan to be observed on the first Thursday of May of each year.  I am including in my prayer thankfulness for these men of God, along with our founding fathers whose faith in God formed this nation's foundation.  God bless America and enable us to be a blessing to the world!

Day 4 - Week 61 - Philippians 4:6 "Do not worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."

Note that our verse does not close out with "make your demands of God", but rather, "let your requests be made known to God."  Let's look at this phrase a little closer through different translations and actual word meanings. 

The Message, "letting God know your concerns."
God's Word Translation, "in every situation let God know what you need."
Good News Translation, "ask God for what you need."
New International Readers Version, "tell God about everything.  Ask and pray."
Weymouth New Testament, "let your request be unreservedly made known in the presence of God."

These translations reaffirm to me, in addition to the Holman Christian Standard language that we originally read, that we are presenting our requests, based on our perceived needs, current situations, and problems before us; but that we are never to place demands on God for what we think we should have or be granted.   

In looking at the actual Greek words used in this verse, requests is translated from the word aitema, which is fairly simple in its definition... petition, request, require.  Interestingly, though, this particular words is only used three times in the New Testament, here in Philippians 4:6, and also in Luke 23:24 and 1 John 5:15. 

Luke 23:24 is a sad portrayal of the requests of people.  For this verse states that Pilate declared that Jesus should be crucified based on the peoples' aitema.  Here the request was brought before a human granter, who, just as in the case of us and God, had the ability and power to determine whether the request would be granted or not.  1 John 5:15 was one of our verses weeks ago when we were discussing the power of prayer.  It states that if we know that God hears our aitema, then we know that He will grant our desires.  But if you'll remember, 1 John 5:14 conditioned our prayer requests based upon asking according to God's will. 

Based on the above, I conclude that we are to humbly present our requests, putting them in God's hands for His decision to be made toward us.   There are some, it seems, that would promote an almost arrogance in our approach to God...that we should be so confident in our position as His saved and loved children that we come to Him and not only present our petitions, but place our demands on Him.  Almost like a spoiled child who says, "You said you would get me anything I wanted."  I believe God responds with a kind, "No, I said I would give you everything you needed, and that I am the One who knows exactly what that is."

Joy does not come from getting what we think we want in this life...joy comes from being in a relationship of trust...trusting that the moment our cares are transmitted from our minds and placed before our loving Father, that He is ready to respond with the exact right answer for our current need.

Day 3 - Week 61 - Philippians 4:6 "Do not worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."

Remember that we are still under the section of verses grouped by the heading of "Joy, God's Kind of Happiness."  So when you read this week's verse, how does it relate to feelings of joy for you?

Paul tells us that we should present our requests to God through prayer and petition with thanksgiving...it's hard to give sincere thanks without a heart that also has the presence of joy within it, don't you think?

The whole situation that Paul describes for us should reaffirm to us all the reasons that we, as Christians, have for being joyful.  We can bring our worries to our Father and give thanks to Him for caring for us.  I challenge you to study other world religions and find in them a reason to have the joy that our faith in Jesus Christ brings.  Perfect love casts out fear...Jesus is that perfect love.  I challenge you to find another explanation of who God is that also allows it's adherents to bring their requests before God and have any assurance that their requests have been heard or that they have reason to believe that their worries can be replaced with confidence in a loving God.

Jesus Christ alone has removed the barrier between God and man. He allows us, through His atoning sacrifice and the mercy that His blood offers to those who trust in Him, to approach God with confidence of His love for them.  We can present our cares and concerns and replace a heart previously filled with worry, with a heart overflowing with joy.