Daily Devotion – December 9, 2021 – Dr. Pat Taylor Ellison
Philippians 4:4-7
4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
4:5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.
4:6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
This short piece of the letter to the Philippians, written by the Apostle Paul, is often quoted and placed into prayers and benedictions in the church, even today. We have heard it so often that we may not even pay attention to it. Today let’s look more closely at each verse.
4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
How much time each day do we spend rejoicing in the Lord? How much time might we spend? Paul says it twice, so perhaps we ought to try it. It may mean stopping our daily activities for a moment and, after a pause, say aloud, “I am now going to rejoice in the Lord.†If the Holy Spirit is generous, at that very moment you’ll get an idea, a notion, a something to be grateful for, a song in your head. Something of joy will come to you, and you will rejoice with gratitude that this gift and all other good things come from the hand of the Lord, right into your life.
4:5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.
I believe that the pause in your day to rejoice in the Lord will place into you a spirit of Gentleness that you cannot help but show to others. It may take them by surprise. Hey, it will probably take US by surprise. But it will be pleasant, and it might hint to us and to others that the Kingdom of God has come near.
4:6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
In this deep spirit of rejoicing in the Lord and that resulting spirit of Gentleness, we can ask God for anything we need. We can pray. We can unburden our hearts or jump for joy and God will hear us and do for us what only God can do. That should lead us to more rejoicing.
4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, at the end of this brief cycle of rejoicing, showing gentleness, and conversation with God, we will receive the peace that passes all human understanding that will guard us in the cycle and help us remember to repeat it always.
Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you giving us these familiar instructions from Paul, so that we may be more connected to you every day. You are certainly a gracious and generous Father, and we are grateful. Amen.
