That Wonderful Peace of God

When in Philippians 4:6 Paul tells us to be careful for nothing, he is not telling us to be careless. The Greek word Paul uses here means to worry. We are told not to worry, but instead to put all our trust in God and in all the promises which He gives us in Christ.

That becomes very plain when in verse 7 he writes, "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.". What is more, he exhorts us to let all our requests be made known unto God by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.

Our hearts and minds must be fixed upon God's promises, but also on what He wrought for us through Christ Jesus, His Son and our Savior. Do that and you will have peace of mind and heart. The idea is that we must not doubt God's ability to keep the promises which He gave us, but also that no matter what happens, God is fulfilling every letter in every promise which He has given us in Christ. We may be sure that, at the cross of Christ, His mother, the disciples, and other men and women who believed in God and in His Christ, were filled with care and anxiety, and worried about the outcome of it. But all that changed when He arose from the dead. For then they saw that His cross had not put an end to His work, but that by it He realized more blessedness for His people.

We also, as we approach not only darker days and persecution, but also our own sicknesses, losses, and bereavements, must not worry. Instead we should take hold of the truth which we find in a versification of Psalm 149: "His saints shall not fail, but over the earth their pow'r shall prevail; All kingdoms and nations shah yield to their sway. To God give the glory and praise Him for aye."

Read: Philippians 4

Meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism

Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Ezekiel 12;  Ezekiel 13; Ezekiel 14:1-11 
Hebrews 57:1-17 
Psalm 105:37-45 
Proverbs 27:3 
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Quote for Reflection:

“The eye prepares the way for hand and foot. The foot, in its carriage of the body, safeguards the eye. Each member ever cares for and serves the others. More beautiful figures of love and good works are not to be found than those derived from the body with its members. In the members we daily bear about with us, and with which we are continually familiar, God has described the law of love in a living and forcible manner. Upon the principle there illustrated, the Christian should act, conducting himself in a way to profit not himself but others, and having a sincere interest in them. Under such conditions, schisms and sects could not spring up among us.”  - Martin Luther