“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7 (ESV)
When our Lord Jesus Christ took on the form of man and came to this earth, the angels proclaimed “peace on earth”. When He arose from the grave and was reunited with His disciples, He proclaimed peace to them. In parting from them before ascending to return to Heaven, He assured them His peace would be with them. He had promised a peace that would encompass them and guide them until He returned in His Second Coming. The Apostle Paul here in this epistle to the church at Phillipi lets them (and, through the preservation of God’s Word, us) know that God’s peace, which surpasses all understanding, will remain with them as they abide with Him.
If you are abiding in God and have put your trust in Him, His peace will keep watch over you and encompass all areas of your life — with Him, with others, with yourself. Your heart, your mind, your soul can have the peace that surpasses all understanding if you will abide in Him and trust through the name of His Son, Jesus Christ.
“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:15 (ESV)
Those of us who have been “called in one body” (those who have been made new through the grace of God in His gift of salvation through the work of His Son Jesus Christ on the cross and through His resurrection) are exhorted here, as were those at the church in Colossae, to allow the peace of Christ to rule in our lives. The Greek word that is used originally for “rule” comes from the term used to imply a governing force or body such as an umpire at the Olympic Games. With governing authority we are to allow the peace of Christ to be at work in our lives, even amidst the constant cycle of hate speech, riots, protests, pandemics, economic crises, sicknesses, losses (of jobs, loved ones, or relationships), or whatever other turmoil this world brings our way. There is so much hatred, pain, division, and fear in the world and rampant even in our own country right now. It is important that we focus on the “things above, not on things that are on the earth” as Paul encourages in verse 2 of this same chapter. When we put aside the fear and control that it has on us to allow God’s peace to rule our lives we will find a peace that surpasses all earthly understanding (Phillipians 4:7) and which can calm even the most restless and agitated areas of our minds and souls. If you have never experienced this peace I refer to, perhaps you have never accepted the gift of salvation God offers through the work of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross as payment for our sins and resurrection from the grave as a promise that we too might have the hope of eternal life through belief in Him. I would encourage you to make that decision today — please reach out if you would like more information or someone to pray with you.
Challenge: It is so easy just to say “the Bible says you shouldn’t worry, so don’t!”, but how do we get to the point of this peace I mentioned? I would challenge you to read all of Colossians chapter 3 today to see what it is we are to set aside in our thoughts and actions in order to be able to receive and focus on this peace. If you do not have a Bible or access to one at the moment, you can read it here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians%203&version=ESV
Jessica Ford Communications Director ALIVE Ministries USA
Contact us by messaging us using the Facebook page ‘send message’ button, at aliveministriesusa@gmail.com, on Twitter (@alive_usa) or on Instagram (@aliveministriesusa).
“What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:9 (ESV)
Paul here exhorts the people of the church of Philippi that the things they have heard of him, seen about him, the teachings they have heard and read from him, that they were to practice these things. In doing so, they were promised that “the God of peace will be with you”. So what does this mean for us? Let us look at Romans 15:4 — “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” So if all scripture is written for our instruction, today’s verse which was written to the Phillipians, is actually written for us as well. Therefore, we can apply this to ourselves to say: “What I have learned and received and heard and seen from the Word of God, I need to practice these things. As I practice them, the God of peace will be with me.” So, make today the day you begin to put these things into practice in your lives!
Jessica Ford Communications Director Alive Ministries USA
Join our “Alive-Stream” Monday – Friday at 8:00EST (9:30 on Wednesday) on FB (Facebook.com/aliveministriesusa) or YouTube (Christopher B. Cain if Alive Ministries USA) for a time of prayer requests and study of the Word.
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