Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness {moderation} be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 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 understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord—Paul’s familiar theme through out the whole epistle which has already been heard in chaps. 1 & 2. This however, is the first time he adds “in the Lord.” This signifies where the believer’s joy exists—a sphere that is unrelated to circumstances of life, but rather to the unchangeable and never ending relationship to the sovereign Lord. And let us not forget where Paul was during this time in his life, in a Roman prison cell. This is one of four prison epistles or letters Paul had been allowed to write while being a prisoner in Rome. The others were Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon. Paul was guarded by soldiers (Acts 28:16), was permitted to receive visitors (Acts 28:30), and had opportunity to preach the gospel (Acts 28:31). None of which ever enabled Paul to view his life as a failed attempt for witnessing for Christ. In fact, everywhere Paul went, people heard the gospel to the point of members of Caesar’s elite palace guard, were getting saved being chained to Paul. In fact Paul never referred himself as a prisoner of Rome, but in fact referenced himself along with Timothy as bondservants of Jesus Christ. There is always cause for us to rejoice in the Lord if you are a Christian today. We can rejoice that He wrote my/our names in His Book of Life before the foundation of the world. Yet, I know there are real times of sorrow and sadness in our lives. Times of despair and constant pain, I’m not disclaiming how hard and difficult it is to ignore this fact. But for the person whom looks to Christ, and Him alone, God has a way of bringing to us comfort by His Spirit that has a most profound effect upon us. That often times by choosing to rely upon the Lord, will rise up within us a joy that is so unspeakable, that when seen upon the face of the Lord’s afflicted one’s, it cannot be denied. For it is supernatural and comes from Jesus Himself, For He is near, at hand.
Let your gentleness {your moderation} be known to all men—This is a word picture of the attitude of “moderation” which implies “peace under pressure” and refers to the calm and deliberate strength with which we meet the disquieting circumstances of our life today. Our world’s disappointing ways, friends we’ve relied upon who have now let us down, relationships: marriages and families which have splintered. Yet, we can still have peace. How you may say? By remembering that the Lord is at hand—Jesus tells His disciples in the gospel of John 16: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (v.33) So really He is saying, “Don’t get too involved in the things of this world, it’s politics, or religious political correctness. These things will bring tribulation. Know rather, that I am near, and I will be coming again soon.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God—The answer for worry is prayer. Fret or worry is an indicator that we have not brought our problems to the Lord. Think of what it means to be plagued with burdens and then bringing them to the highest authority man has to bring them to. You can’t get any higher authority for which to bring your concerns to than to the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Who breathed the breath of life into man, who spoke into existence the universe as we know it, yet cares enough about us to know every strand of hair on our heads. He knows when one sparrow has fallen to the ground, and says to us: “Therefore I say to you, ‘do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than birds?” (Luke 12:22-24) So it is with prayer and commitment that I bring those things to God in prayer. I personally begin when I arise from bed, I start thanking the Lord for another day. I ask for His guiding me by His Spirit, for His filling me with His Spirit, then as I begin my day I read a few Scriptures and ask Him to bring to my memory His promises that I may need through out my day. Everyone who is a believer is different in how you cast your cares on the Lord. But its those things that make me prone to worry, or cause me to be afraid of, these very things I need to be bringing to the Lord. I realize that once I’ve committed these concerns into His hands, they are His now, they belong to Him and He will work out those things for His glory and for my good. For sure it is not for my glory. It is never for my own personal pleasure as often times I may not like the way things are in my life. Here is where I put my trust in Him, by saying, “Father, not my will, but Your will be done in this matter.” God is in control, and thank God I’m not. If I only could rely upon myself, if I were in control of my own circumstances I probably wouldn’t be writing these words today. I would have for sure messed things up a long time ago. All of these years the steadfast and sovereign Lord has enabled me to find confident strength and trust in His ways for my life. Teaching me to trust in God even when I can’t see the way.
Peace of God—An inner calm and tranquility is promised to the believer who has a thankful heart and displays an attitude of trust in the Lord. An unwavering peace in all my circumstances because the sovereign Lord has taken my circumstances and is working all things because He is able for my good (Romans 8:28), and my faith and trust in Him is growing and maturing in His likeness as His Spirit is working in my life. Transforming me into the image of Christ. Far from it as to being perfect and sinless, but nevertheless has been at work in me yesterday, today, and will be tomorrow when I arise Lord willing. If this all sounds too good, or perhaps too easy in my complexity of life? Just believe that God’s peace surpasses all understanding in its divine origin of peace. It transcends human intellect, and gives us powerful discerning insight and awareness of the nearness of the Lord.
Beloved friend, Paul was making a reference to the whole of man that can have peace today, even in the most trying circumstances, because our peace is in the Person of Jesus Christ. He has overcome this world by paying the ransom for us by dying for our sins which had previously separated us from a relationship with God. But now has restored us to Himself through His sacrifice. Believing by faith that this was done so we can have peace in our lives today. If you are still in doubt, why don’t you try once more? Cast your cares upon Him who cares for the things which concern us. Don’t be lacking today of something God so freely gives to anyone who asks. He loves you with an eternal love that can be depended upon with all of your life’s cares.
May the Lord bless your walk with Him today!
Great word of encouragement Ron! When will we finally rest back into the care an provision of Jesus? Paul said at times they “even dispared of life” so all those feelings are legitimate but at the end of the day Jesus has already overcome this world! So be of good cheer!!!!!
John