Philippians 4:4,6-7
Today’s devotional offering came to me one day as I was searching the Bible for a connection between living with gratitude to God and gaining peace. It seemed to me that the more I focused on what I have in Christ and who I am in Christ, the more peaceful my life became. When I realize He has given me all I need and that He is in control of my future as well, then I can have peace even in the midst of trials and storms in life. Let’s take an interactive look at Philippians 4:4,6-7 and see if this begins to make sense to you as well.
Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Take a few minutes to focus on who God is by listing as many of His names and qualities as you can…
Over the years my perceptions of God have grown and changed. I realized He was my redeemer, my Savior. I understood He was the Creator of everything. Later I realized He was with me all the time. When I really dug into His word I learned He had many names that described His character. The awesome thing is, though my ideas of Him have broadened, He has not changed. What a comforting thought. When we realize He is all we listed and so much more, we can really relate to what Paul says in Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” We serve an awesome God! Rejoice!
Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious in anything, but by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Next, take a few minutes to present your requests to God. Start by praising Him for who He is. Then, lay out your thankfulness and your requests in this format. Make two columns side by side, one for requests and one for thanksgiving. Really get into this. Think of everything you have to be thankful for…..
If you’re like me I ran out of requests long before I ran out of things to be thankful for. In light of who He is and all He’s done for me, my requests certainly seemed more manageable when put in the hands of the God of the Universe. He’s been faithful before and He’ll be faithful again. We simply need to trust Him.
Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Reminding ourselves daily of just who God is and remembering with a grateful heart His faithfulness can truly bring us peace. We can live with confidence knowing He’s got it all under control. We can say with Paul, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” (Phil. 4:13)
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