DATE POSTED Saturday, 2022-12-24
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Philippians 4:6-7
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁶ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers. ⁷ If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.

APPLICATION: Having come from a very small town, I know what it’s like to hear no sirens, seldom hear a car horn, or wonder where the loud music is coming from that would deafen the ears of sensitive residents. But then, I’ve experienced ‘big city’ teenagers, who would rather not visit my small, quiet, hometown and would rather the noise, excitement and rush of the neighboring big city! But whatever your preference is in regard to the above, I believe we all reach a stage at times where we’ve had enough and would rather enjoy peace and quiet, to allow our minds to settle down! Interestingly enough, that’s not what prompted Paul to share the advice in these verses we are studying today. Two individuals were at odds with each other, and Paul had just shared his heart-felt wishes with them about reconciling their differences. Paul then pleaded with his co-workers in the ministry to also pray and help him to resolve the differences of these ladies. Often, when differences and arguments result from certain behaviors, it is often easy for others to see what went wrong in their lives, and then try to apply the corrective principles to our own lives, to help them avoid trouble that may disrupt the fellowship. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul knew that there are a few things that often lead to troublesome relationships with each other, so he gave us a few pointers to help us avoid the same:
–> Don’t worry – I believe that the answer to this, is to have perfect peace in the Lord Jesus Christ. Learn to take your burdens to Him; Listen to His instruction; Obey His commands and His guidance; and Practice imitating His time on earth with us.
–> Pray – This is conversation with God. When you pray to a wall, everything you say, stays at that spot and nothing happens in response to your prayer needs. But that’s not how conversation with God works. Learn to share with Him your deepest burdens. But most importantly, learn to wait, and listen for His still small voice in response to your concerns. This might be through a Bible verse that suddenly comes to mind, or through a Scripture that you are reading as a part of your daily time in the Word. Or He may choose to answer you through another believer who knows nothing about your situation. Yes, tell Jesus your concerns, but unless you listen for His miraculous response, you may have done nothing but get a concern off your chest.
–> Tell God your needs – Let’s try not to confuse this with a formal meeting with God where He would ask you ‘what’s wrong?’. Remember, God is omnipresent. He’s there when you wreck your car; when you lose a loved one; when your boss comes down on you. As an example, I had an employee approach me one time in the absence of her pastor who was out of town. Her request was way over my head, so at my desk I simply whispered ‘Lord, please give me Your words’. I’m sure He heard my need and gave me the words I needed to share with His daughter.
–> With a thankful heart – To understand what this means, stop and think how you would respond to a situation when you’re mad, or when you’re upset or frustrated. A thankful heart will acknowledge all that God has already blessed you with, and it will cause you to ask from a heart that acknowledges only God can honor your request.
Friends, I sincerely believe that as we strive to live like God tells us to in His Word, and as He teaches us throughout His Word, and with the power and love of the one true God, then, and only then, will we experience true peace in our hearts, in our lives, and all around us, until He returns or takes us home to glory!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Real peace comes from the God of peace – our father who art in heaven. Oh, that we would experience that kind of peace this Christmas and every day of 2023.

PRAYER: Dearest Lord Jesus, only You can fill our hearts with peace when the world disrupts our lives and causes us to stress over every little thing. Please calm us with Your assurance and with Your promises. You alone can settle the minds of those You created, regardless of the stress we encounter here on earth. Thank You for giving Your servant Paul the words to encourage us with, and please give us the boldness and strength we need to overcome earthly distractions and concentrate ourselves on loving and serving You – the Author and Finisher of our faith. Perhaps today this may be the fix for those who chose to ignore Your invitation but may agree to listen to the experience of how we found peace while still here on earth. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!