Written ~ 08-13-2023
Philippians 4:4-9
“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again – REJOICE! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me – everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”
As always, Paul gives us a wealth of instruction in just a few verses. He has such a wonderful heart for encouraging the believers he has ministered to during his travels. The Book of Philippians is probably one of the books in the Bible we all have poured over and probably have many verses highlighted.
Since there are so many items to look at in this passage, let’s take it slow and go one step at a time.
Verse 4:
“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again – REJOICE!”
When everything is going right in your life it is easy to be joyful, it doesn’t take much to put a smile on your face. Rejoicing, words of joy become a part of your vocabulary. Joy spills over into every aspect of your life. It’s in those times of hardship, grief, anxiety and loneliness, that joy seems to be diminished. In verse 4, Paul says, “Always be full of joy…” The word “always” doesn’t give much room for exception. Always means – at all times – constantly – perpetually – consistently – unfailingly – night and day. So, when we are feeling less than joyful, can we find help in the Scriptures? Honestly? It’s the first place we should turn. We must draw on the strength we find in Jesus. Psalm 28:7 says,
“The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust Him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.”
If our hearts give way to a negative emotion of any kind, we must turn our hearts back to the Lord. If we can’t get past the negativity in our spirit, it may be that deeper searching will need to take place. Placing our joyless heart in the hands of Jesus with full trust He will bring about full healing and comfort is the first step. Praying for the help of the Holy Spirit to bring joy to overflowing is the next! We are made to worship the Lord!! Nehemiah 8:10b says,
“Don’t be dejected or sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”
Verse 5:
“Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon (or the Lord is near).”
So, let’s examine ourselves. What’s the first impression you are giving? Are you giving out a perpetual mournful, dejected, mad at the world energy? Or are you filling a room with light? Are you energizing your environment with the joy of the Lord? Is the Lord near? Can the Lord’s presence be felt when you walk into a room? Something to really think about… What if the joy of the Lord is not being recognized by those around you? You might ask yourself why?
Verse 6:
“Don’t worry about anything, instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.”
Whoa, boy, this is a verse that catches up with us! Doesn’t it? “Don’t worry about anything.” This is not just a suggestion to take lightly, this is a way of life. If we trust in the Lord to handle all of our affairs. Then “worry” should be placed in the hands of the Lord and left there. As we pray, our requests are made known to the Almighty God, when we pour out the innermost worries of our hearts and ask for God’s wisdom and His plan to unfold… we have got to believe it and thank Him for taking those worries off our hands! Matthew 6:27 says,
“Can all your worries add a single moment to your lives?”
Where is the joy in a worry filled heart? Just asking…
Verse 7:
“Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
When we are able to give God all our worries, each hardship, overwhelming grief, anxiety, loneliness and any negative emotion burdening our hearts and minds, there’s a promise in verse 7…
We will experience God’s peace. This is not just your basic peace, this is a peace that we don’t understand, it exceeds anything we can comprehend! But it’s real, it’s tangible. We rest. We breathe. God’s peace watches over our hearts, it puts a wall around our minds so we can experience JOY! When our hearts and minds are at peace, at rest, we can experience the Joy that comes from the Lord Jesus Christ living within us!
Verses 8-9:
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me – everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”
Paul’s exhortation in these two verses should urge us to dwell on the things of Heaven. Think only on those things that evoke JOY, PEACE, and LOVE… not worry, anger, and fear.
Fix your thoughts on…
Truth ~ Honor ~ Righteousness ~ Purity ~ Loveliness ~ Admiration
Think only about what is…
Excellent ~ Worthy ~ full of Praise
When we put into practice all the things these verses have encouraged us to do. Do you know what happens? The peace of God will be with you.
Thank you Lord for the peace You have given me. The joy in my heart is overflowing. My prayer would be that those closest to me would also experience and enjoy the peace and joy of the Lord. In everything!! I REJOICE in Your Name LORD!
~AMEN~