As we continue to fix our eyes and trust on the LORD, our passage today is from Philippians 4:4-7:
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
We began our fast and prayer week by reading Isaiah’s promise that God will keep us in perfect peace when our mind is stayed on him, because we trust in him. This passage picks up on that same promise of peace.
This is the peace of God.” God is the origin of this peace. It is a peace that flows from his own inner-counsel. The peace of the omnipotent and sovereign king who is always in control, flowing down into our weak and unstable hearts.
This peace, surpasses all understanding. This is not a “that makes sense peace”, or a “I finally figured it out peace.” Rather, this is an experiential shalom that bows before the greater power and wisdom of God. This is peace beyond parallel. This is peace that causes us to flourish, to rejoice, and to erupt in thanksgiving.
This is an active peace. Paul uses a military word to say that God’s peace will keep guard over us. God will so protect this peace that is as if he has established a spiritual garrison around our soul so that doubts cannot unsettle our childlike dependence. And that garrison is our union with Christ. This peace will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ. One with him, we know that as our Vine, as our Head, as our Husband, as our Cornerstone – he protects us and offers us peace!
What an amazing vision of peace! But notice that this peace flows from real steps of faith from us.
Rarely do we read Paul give such a forceful statement of verse 4. Fresh off addressing a disagreement in this church, he addresses the entire church with a command to rejoice. Always. And then he commands it again! Philippians is one of the most joyful letters in the entire New Testament, but in this we see that joy is not merely a fruit of God’s work in us but something we are called to resolve to pursue.
Then in contrast to anxiety, Paul calls us to bring our requests to God. We are called to gentleness with everyone and thanksgiving in our communion with God.
The peace that rules in us flows from a resolution to rejoice and live in thankful communion with God.
How do anxious people like you and me live in the good of the guarding, surpassing, peace of God? We fix our eyes upon our savior, resolving to never stop rejoicing in what he has done on the cross, even in the midst of disputes. We resolve to fix our eyes on our God in prayer, cultivating thanksgiving even in matters of real request and petition. We walk in joy made possible by our union with Jesus. We pray with thanksgiving made possible by our union with Jesus.
Today, let’s fix our eyes upon our peace giving God by rejoicing in his manifold works and bringing our requests to him with thankful hearts.
