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.  

Day 2 - 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."

It sounds so simple, doesn't it?  Don't worry  - give our requests to God, and let go of them.  Sounds easy, but for our human hearts and minds it is contrary to everything we cling to.  We like to think we can control outcomes and futures, but we are so very limited in our control.  Down deep, we know that, and therein lies the worry.  The knowledge that outcomes and futures are really not within our grasp, and that no matter what we do, no matter how tightly we try to hold onto the reins, things may not turn out the way that we want them to.

Satan would have us think that God is not working in our favor; but God tells us differently.  He tells us that when we bring our concerns to Him, through prayer, asking for His blessings, He will relieve our worries.  He will take over our concerns.  That He hears us as His children, and that He will work everything together for our good. 

If we are not able to trust our God, our Father, then we, indeed, have cause to worry.  In that scenario, at best, we put our lives in the. randomness of chance; at worst, our lives are in the hands of a power that may like us one day, not so much the next.

But if we understand that our lives are in the hands of our Creator Father, a God that loves His creation so much that He designed a plan for our eternal well-being in His very presence, a plan that by His design cost the painful death of His Son, then we can feel the assurance that the earthly worries that we now have can be very trustfully placed in the hands of the One who loves us to that degree. 

We have a Father - He loves us - He knows our concerns, He is waiting for us to say, "I am so thankful that You are my Father, and that You are so able to care for me.  Here are my problems today.  I trust You to show me the way.  Thank You for loving me so much."





Today we celebrated the marriage of Vandi, my sweet step-daughter.  As you stand back and hear the marriage vows repeated, you cannot help but think, "I hope they will be happy!"  I pray tonight that Vandi and Lawson are blessed in their marriage...that God will show them His way...and that their lives will be free from worry and full of love.

Best wishes for a lifetime of happiness, Vandi & Lawson...and praying for God's sweetest blessings over your lives. 

Day 1 - Week 61 - Another step to joy!

We often think that joy just comes naturally, that some people are just more joyful than others.  But I think that I am finding that joy is a by-product of some learned lifestyles.  Just as we often think that love is an emotion, we have come to see that most often love is a choice.  Such is the case with joy.  When we have mindsets that choose to dwell on the negative, it is going to be very hard to allow joy to come to a place of prominence in our lives, and will almost certainly not be an attribute that we are known for.  Our verse that we will add this week is just such an example of one of the learned behaviors that we have to enact in our lives to allow joy to become our natural state.  (Angela Thomas has even written a 52-week devotional book entitled, "Choosing Joy.")

But it is the beginning of a new verse, a new week, so let's review our last few sections before we introduce the new.....

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."

We'll follow right up with Philippians 4:6...such a great verse for those of us who tend to be worriers.  (And you do know that worry is a sin, right?  And you do know why, right?  What level of trust are we showing in our God who we claim to love and to know that He loves us when we feel that we must fret over our circumstance?  Is He able?  Of course He is!  OK, back to the show....)

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."

Here it is folks!  Here is one of the huge stumbling blocks to having a life full of joy...worry!  If we are going to be joyful, we've got to let go of worrying over our lives.  A life full of worry will never be a life known for joy. 

I'm picturing someone holding both of their hands up imitating scales with worry on one hand, joy on the other...worry....joy....worry...joy...which do you choose?  Today, I choose joy!!  I will turn my worries over to God's very capable hands and rejoice in the fact that He is able!

Day 4 - Week 60 - Philippians 4:5 "Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near."

"I found that God was to me a Resource and a Helper to whom I could always turn; that He was, in fact, a very present help in trouble.  That fact made all the difference to me."  Lt. General Sir William Dobbie

From 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart, by Robert J. Morgan

Sir William Dobbie was a British war hero and devoted Christian who, during World War II, was given command of the Malta.  Dobbie told the ill-prepared islanders that God was a very present help in trouble.  And against all odds Malta did not fall.  Allied battleships in its harbor were sitting ducks for the enemy, but the ships were never hit.  A bomb fell through the roof of the village church, but it didn't go off.  Nearly three hundred enemy plans were destroyed and six hundred others damaged.  Allied forces in Malta threatened enemy supply lines and prevented Axis planes from reaching Europe.  Dobbie's men said he possessed an inner calm impossible to understand.  After the war he wrote a book about the "Miracle of Malta."  He entitled his account A Very Present Help.

I don't know about you, but I would love someone to recall me with a story of faith like that.  A woman of such faith that she exhibited calm in the middle of a very real storm.  "An inner calm impossible to understand."  And from what I read of Lt. General Sir William Dobbie, I just know that he was a man of graciousness.   I am prompted by this account of his faithfulness to think of the many other people throughout history who have exhibited similar levels of commitment to our Lord and whose stories we may not have heard. It would be an interesting study to undertake, wouldn't it?

The other thing that comes to my mind tonight is another way in which the two sentences of our verse tie together.  If we would always remember that our Lord is very near...that He is in actuality right by our side, knowing our circumstance, knowing everything that is circling around us, and watching how we, as His ambassador here on earth, respond to all of these swirling variables.   Don't you think that if we would more consciously be aware of His presence beside us that we would more often react with a graciousness that we often miss.  Remembering that Christ is walking right with us surely would be an encouragement to treat other people with a consideration that befits someone who has taken on the name of the epitome of graciousness and consideration.

Maybe, in my mind, I need to remember this verse in reverse..."The Lord is near...let your graciousness be known to everyone."

Blessings my sweet cojourners!
 

Day 3 - Week 60 - Phillipians 4:5 "Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near."

Do these two sentences seem an odd pairing to you?  When I read this verse, I have a hard time connecting the two.  I like both sentences, I appreciate both of them.  But I just don't get what they have to do with one another.

In Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, he gives a nice explanation as to the coupling of these sentences:  "so it <Philippians 4:4> well agrees with the following verse. The reason is, the Lord is at hand. The consideration of our Master’s approach, and our final account, should keep us from smiting our fellow-servants, support us under present sufferings, and moderate our affections to outward good. 'He will take vengeance on your enemies, and reward your patience.'"

When we remember that "the Lord is near", we are reminded the importance of our relationships with others.  Every interpersonal relationship that we have the opportunity to develop here on earth, is an opportunity to exude the graciousness of a truly Spirit-filled Christ follower.  That kind of graciousness, the kind of graciousness that finds itself totally unconcerned about being taken advantage of, or not having the same graciousness returned, is the kind of loving attitude that is noticeable in this world of ours.  It becomes an attribute that is admired and makes the person that demonstrates it a source of curiosity for anyone who doesn't understand the source of such joy.   And then the opportunity to share arises.  And because the Lord is near, and He will return, we take advantage of that time to tell just why it is that we can be gracious even in situations where graciousness looks out of place.

Not only is the time of our Lord's return near, as Matthew Henry interprets, but the Lord is always near to His children, just as He promises. We can be gracious, encouraging, considerate of all...we don't have to worry about whether they deserve it or not.  We don't have to worry about being mistreated.  Because we know that the Lord is near.  We know that He sees everything we are going through.  We know that He supports us as we return unkindness with kindness, when we turn a cheek, when we love the unloving.  We know that He is near, that He is watching, and that He smiles on His children when they exhibit His love.