Philippians 4:4-13 – “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. 10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” NKJV

I love the way Paul begins this passage with Double Rejoicing!  Don’t just rejoice but rejoice again, that will get your heart pumping and get your focus pointed in the right direction.  Then he adds something that is not always easy “Let your gentleness be known to all men.”  Be steel wrapped in velvet!  Quit worrying!  That’s much easier to do once you have rejoiced and rejoiced again, prayed and made supplication while giving thanks and the Peace of God floods your heart and mind through Jesus!

He proceeds to tell us how to walk.  It is too bad those in Washington DC and too many in church don’t read and practice this.  For believers, this is our marching orders.  The truth, the noble, the just, the pure, the lovely, the good report, the things of virtue and that which is praiseworthy is to occupy our thought processes throughout the day.  Do them, do the word, follow His instructions and you will find the Peace of God flowing out from you because it is in you.

Paul advised that he had learned contentment because he had practiced the things listed above.  He knew how to abound and how to be abased. How to have plenty and to have little. How to be rich and be poor. How to be celebrated and how to be hated. How to be full and how to be hungry. His secret was In Christ!  No matter what he faced it was “In Christ” out of the Peace of God!  

He said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” That was his secret and ours!  Out of the Peace of God that passes all understanding, from our position In Christ,  we can face whatever we face with rejoicing, prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving demonstrating gentleness, noble character, being just, pure, virtue, and the reports will be good and lovely.  It is In Christ out of God’s Peace that we live and move and have our being.

Today, begin the day rejoicing even if you don’t feel like rejoicing and once you’ve done that rejoice again!  Refuse to allow worry to fill your heart and mind. Meditate on the true, noble, just, pure, lovely, good report and virtuous and walk in what you have learned in the Peace of God.  Remember You Can Do All Things Through Christ!  He is Our Strength! Get out of the way devil, we are coming through!

Blessings on this beautiful day!