Daily Dose of the Word of God - Philippians 4: 4-7

Gregg DeMey, Lead Pastor

Transcript

Gregg DeMey  0:07  

Good Morning and welcome to Elmhurst CRC's Daily Dose of the Word of God. It is Thursday, May 21 and this is Gregg DeMay. It is the end of the season of Easter and we are living it forward in Jesus' name. Today's scripture reading is relentlessly hopeful and positive, from Philippians chapter 4, verses 4 through 7.

Gregg DeMey   0:25  

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

Gregg DeMey    0:55  

We do well to remember that Paul wrote these positive words from a prison cell. How is it that Paul was able to find such joy and peace, even when his circumstances were so brutal? The only possible explanation is that Paul's well-being, and indeed our Christian well-being, is more dependent on invisible spiritual realities than on external material realities. If you are connected to Jesus today, if you are filled up with the Holy Spirit, if you are confident of the Father's goodness and affection toward you, you will have a deep down joy, and you will have a peace that passes understanding. Of course, our feelings and emotions are fickle sometimes. That's not the layer that I'm describing here, and even sometimes I feel like my soul has a sick day on and off. Our underlying joy, my underlying joy and peace in Christ has a staying power and a predominance over the long run. These spiritual fruits of joy and peace are built on a strong foundation.

Gregg DeMey  2:08  

First part of the foundation, Paul says that the Lord is near. This is why it's wise for us to practice daily attention to God's voice. Listening for the whispers of the Holy Spirit is God's word near you right now (maybe there's literally a Bible in your hand). Secondly, our spiritual well-being is built on the foundation of prayer and thanksgiving. In this little passage, Paul contrasts the anxiety that we so often feel with situationally, moment by moment, taking it to the Lord in prayer. This is where it's at, friends. Persistent, hopeful, steady, passionate - dare I say - radical prayer. When we go through the day with our little spirits communing with God's great eternal spirit, we can't help but to conclude that everything is going to be all right in Christ.

Gregg DeMey  3:05  

Let's pray. God, we have our concerns, we have our agenda for what we want to see happen today. We yield and release all of that to your care, we submit it to your will and we declare that it's more than enough for us today to hear your voice, to be with you, to be near you, come what may. For all the rest, we open ourselves to receiving the fruit that comes so naturally from communing with you, God. Deep joy and a peace that passes understanding, that sounds better than anything the flesh or the world could offer. For Jesus' sake, amen.