Finding Peace

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Rejoice in the Lord always. 

I will say it again: Rejoice! 

Let your gentleness be evident to all. 

The Lord is near. 

Do not be anxious about anything, 

but in every situation, 

by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, 

present your requests to God. 

And the peace of God, 

which transcends all understanding, 

will guard your hearts 

and your minds in Christ Jesus.

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:4-7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Радуйтесь всегда в Господе; 

и еще говорю: радуйтесь. 

Кротость ваша да будет 

известна всем человекам. 

Господь близко. 

Не заботьтесь ни о чем, 

но всегда в молитве и прошении с

благодарением открывайте свои

желания пред Богом, 

и мир Божий, 

который превыше всякого ума,

соблюдет сердца ваши и помышления

ваши во Христе Иисусе.

Послание к Филиппийцам‬ ‭4:4-7‬ ‭SYNO‬‬

What is the difference between happiness and joy? Happiness is superficial and is sometimes fleeting. Joy, on the other hand, is deep-seated and long-lasting. Joy is less about how you feel and more about how you are. 

How is it possible to rejoice when we are unhappy? Partly because we are not alone — the Lord is near. As believers, He lives inside of us and experiences everything with us. One of the characteristics of His indwelling Spirit is joy! Since He is there, so is His joy. That is something to rejoice about!

Rejoicing is easier, too, if we aren’t anxious. God doesn’t want us to fret about ANYthing. Not wars. Not finances. Not illnesses. Not crimes. Not family dynamics. NOthing! 

Instead we are to go before Him with thanksgiving and lay our concerns at His feet. Our God loves us so much that He longs to hear about the things that bother us. He wants us to talk to Him about them and to leave them with Him so that He can take care of them — and us. 

Don’t lose site of what verse 7 says. As a result of rejoicing in the Lord and laying our anxieties at His feet, He will give us peace. And not just any peace. 

• Peace that is so amazing that it passes ALL understanding. 
• Peace that protects our hearts. 
• Peace that protects our minds. 

Now that brings us back full circle. How can we have that kind of peace and not rejoice in the Lord?

Lord, we rejoice in you. We praise You for who You are. We give You our problems and our concerns because it doesn’t do us any good to worry about them. Thank you for replacing our anxieties with Your peace — for protecting us with it. You are so wonderful!

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