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Do Not Be Anxious
Andrea Lende • January 20, 2021
Philippians 4:6-7
Do Not Be Anxious
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Do-Not-Be-Anxious-ep7sfp
Philippians 4:6-7
“Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.”
“And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
I surely needed to read Paul’s words today.
There are so many things going on in our world that give cause to worry.
So many difficult things to think about.
Not to mention our own lives and the anxieties present there as well.
Ever changing.
An ever-evolving new normal giving way to another new normal.
Nothing is the same.
It may never be the same as before the pandemic.
So, what will the rest of our lives look like?
Hard to tell.
I find myself getting anxious at times, and I am not one who is prone to anxiety.
So, reading Paul’s words today was a blessing that settled my soul.
Shifted my perspective.
Bathed me in peace.
I especially love the Amplified Bible’s definition of peace in this passage.
Its translation is different from other translations of peace I have found in the Bible.
Peace - “that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is”.
No matter what is happening in our world we are assured of salvation.
How blessed are we?
For salvation is the real prize.
It is the fairy-tale ending of the story of our lives.
We truly have nothing to fear.
Nothing to be anxious about.
For we have the Lord at our side.
Living inside us.
Ready to fight the enemy who tries to steal our souls.
That is where the real battle is.
Not the earthly things we think we are struggling with.
We are assured here that the Lord has already won the biggest battle of our lives.
The war for our souls.
It is won.
It is done.
Through the power of Jesus’ sacrifice it is done.
Today I choose to dwell on the Lord and sit in His presence rather than be compassed about by the world’s troubles.
May you find the Lord gives you peace and causes your soul to rest in Him.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for reminding me that Your peace is mine to have. A gift from You. Help me receive Your peace, Father. May You pour a large portion of Your peace into my soul at this very moment. May Your peace wrap around me like a blanket throughout this day. Help me leave all the anxieties I have and turn to You. Keep me from letting them rule my inner mind, soul, and spirit. May Your grace pour over me right now as You hold me close and quiet my fears. Help me walk boldly into this day knowing You are my God and Strength. Thank You, Father, for providing for my salvation. Thank You for sending Your Son to wage the war on this world and win my soul. Thank You for never leaving me alone. Thank You for Your great plan. May I walk into Your perfect plan for my life. I pray You watch over the children You have given me today, Father. May You protect them in every way. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM watching over you and your whole household, and you are protected and cared for by Me.
Response: Thank You, Almighty and gracious God and Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.