Daily Devotional

A Ministry of the Kerwin Baptist Church

December 15, 2018

by Pastor Hawtree

I AM PERSUADED THAT HE IS ABLE:

TO HELP ME REJOICE (part 2)

PHILIPPIANS 4:1 Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved……. 4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice

God has given us precious resources to enable us to “rejoice” in our everyday lives. Rejoicing should be a characteristic that is present in our lives. It is, or should be, one of those things that sets us apart. Let’s look at some more of these resources that are given to us in Philippians chapter four.

2. PEACE TO KEEP US (7)
Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus

What is difficult for us to understand about the “peace of God”, is that the “peace of God” is beyond our understanding. See what I did there? We will never be able to explain ‘on paper’ how the peace of God works, happens, or operates. It is just past our understanding. This verse it “passeth” our understanding. That word “passeth” is defined as “superior, better, to excel past”. God’s peace is better, superior to, and excels past our understanding.

We can rejoice in difficult times because the peace of God “keeps” our hearts and minds. Our heart and our mind can become very unstable during trials. We can become confused, downhearted, and dejected. When that happens, our life becomes unstable and joy leaves our life. The peace of God “keeps” our minds and hearts. According to the Greek definition, that means “to be a watcher in advance, to mount guard as a sentinel, to hem in, to protect”. The peace of God protects and guards our hearts and minds.

What a wonderful gift from God. He has given us, and made available to us, His peace. That is how we can “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice”.
I encourage you to access and utilize the peace of God today. What trial has hardened your heart? What circumstance has unsettled your mind? What problem has stolen your joy? Let the “peace of God” guard your heart and mind today. “Again, I say, rejoice”.