PEACE - Purpose to Enter


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Reposted from 2009


"And He said to her, Daughter, your faith (your confidence and trust in Me has made you well! Go (enter) into peace (untroubled, undisturbed well-being). Luke 8:48

"4Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice! 5Let all men know and perceive and recognize your unselfishness (your considerateness, your forbearing spirit). The Lord is near [He is coming soon]. 6Do 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. 7And 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. 8For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them]. 9Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you." Philippians 4:4-9

Of untroubled, undisturbed well-being, what a wondrous way to live! Is it possible? Honestly, with so much hectic busyness and the economy so bad, is this a realistic expectation? Absolutely! As a matter of fact, if we are a believer in Jesus, it is disobedience to God's command for us to live any other way. Those aren't my words. They are God's. Verse six of Philippians chapter 4 says "Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything..." That is a command, not an option or suggestion. God doesn't say that it will be easy, He just says do not fret or have any anxiety about anything. Notice He told us not to have any anxiety about anything. Not much room for questioning there. Our Heavenly Father has made Himself extremely clear on this matter.

However, as He often does, our Loving Father has not only instructed us what not to do. He has also taught us what we are to do. Verse six continues with "in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God." Verse four instructs us to rejoice in the Lord always. We are told to rejoice twice in the same verse. God placed the instruction to rejoice BEFORE He tells us not to fret or have anxiety. I can't help but think that He knew how difficult it is to fret when we are rejoicing in our Lord, especially if we obey completely and rejoice in Him always.

Another thing I noticed was that nowhere in these verses does it say that we won't have troubles. Neither does it tell us to pretend they aren't there. We are told to rejoice in the Lord always. Not fret or have anxiety. Make our definite requests and wants known to God. When we obey our Father's commands completely, the peace of God will garrison and mount guard over our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Hallelujah! Does it get any better than that?

"You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You." Isaiah 26:3

So much promise is contained in this verse, as well as the ones above. How I need to meditate (utter, mutter, and ponder) on these verses until my obedience of them is absolutely complete! We all do I imagine. Such a depth would be added to our relationship with Christ. Luke 8:48 says "Go (enter) into peace..." According to this verse and the others we are studying today, peace (untroubled, undisturbed well-being) doesn't just happen. It requires us to purposefully obey the command of God.

In the midst of a troubled world filled with tension and unrest the words of Phil. 4:8 are essential to the believer--not to mention that they too are a command of God. "...whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them]. What is my mind fixed on? What I see and hear around me? What the neighbors are saying? What the media is blaring? The ideas and opinions of sinners? OR...Is my mind fixed on the Word of God? Am I thinking on, weighing, and taking account of true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, lovable, kind, winsome, gracious, virtuous, excellent, worthy of praise things? Is what the media says honorable and true? Is is kind, winsome, or gracious? Do I hear the noise of the world screaming virtuous things or desiring excellence? Not if I'm honest about what I'm hearing.

So often I find myself in the tormenting pit of worry and unrest while all along my loving Heavenly Father has shown me exactly how to experience His Peace. What about now? Will I walk in sinful ways of worry and fret or will I obey the Lord's command? This is something I have been striving to walk in for several years. It has not been an easy change, but the peace of God that garrisons and mounts guard over my heart in Christ Jesus is definitely worth the cost of obedience. I pray that as we travel through this new Christmas season, one we've never been through before, that we will all purpose anew to enter His peace. God Bless You!

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