Philippians 4:5-7 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.
“Don’t be anxious”…even though it's a perfectly natural response to mounting threats; sickness, finances, employment, uncertainty, emotional stress, family crises...Nevertheless, it says, "Don't be anxious about anything". Instead, pray!
But does that really work? How many can affirm, even testify, that praying relieves anxiety about real and present threats and dangers? Anxiety is a powerful emotional condition, even expressing in physical symptoms; stomach upsets, cramps, heart palpitations, headaches, ruminations, muscle contractions, indigestion, cold extremities, dilated pupils, numbness, emotional outbursts, fits of anger, etc. etc. And there are all kinds of prescribed and/or self medications, including everything from beer to valium, or simply the internet...
But is prayer really and truly an effective solution for anxiety? If you can honestly answer "Yes", you are not a novice at praying.
Psalm 62:8 ... "Trust in Him at all times, people, pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah (which kind of means 'pause for an easy breath')." When you pour out your heart to someone, is time a factor? When you know she's really listening and caring about your situation, and has something to offer, do you expect to feel better after you have emptied your soul? It sounds simple, even perfunctory, but praying out your anxiety implies really trusting the Person you're talking to, and taking the time to empty your heart and soul before Him. That's what God wants you to do.
If and when you do that, and thoroughly, you may find yourself in a peace (a "shalom") which passes comprehension, because you hardly expected it when you started out. What’s amazing about this passage is the hidden mystery of that Shalom, a Hebrew word with such wonderful compound meaning it requires a basketful of English words to be inadequately translated: peace, completeness, prosperity, safety, contentment, health, blessing, and rest, among others.
See if you can manage to experience this when anxiety strikes. Test it and see for yourself if praying can really alleviate your fears. God’s peace is there for you and it will pass all understanding; and most especially in these times … wouldn’t it be great to constantly walk in that shalom, His shalom?
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]A.W. Tozer had an interesting commentary on this verse. He said: "Faith is seeing the invisible, but not the nonexistent."
In the early 1800's a preacher gave a message to call men to join him on the mission field in Africa. In the audience were only a few women along with a boy. The pastor knew that few women were expected to volunteer to face harsh African jungle conditions. However, he gave the message; and no one responded. What he didn't realize was that he had touched the heart of a little boy whose name was David Livingstone. This boy would grow up to spend the rest of his life ministering to Africa's unreached tribes.
The word "verily", in this verse, is the Hebrew word “emunah” (em-oo-nah). It also means "faith" or "faithfully". When we trust in the Lord, and our trust is demonstrated by doing good, He declares that He will faithfully feed us. How will we be fed?
When the apostle Paul wrote this letter to his young student Timothy, he taught him some profound truths that I often apply in my life. I suppose when Timothy received these instructions, he was about my age – a young man still developing his skills at evangelism, teaching and instructing.
A significant response to the current pandemic has been medical professionals in various places offering valuable advice on the role of diet toward building and increasing our body's immunity to viruses and disease in general. This kind of advice can be truly salutary, even life-saving. Yet the aphorism, "You are what you eat", though often heard, isn't always taken as seriously as we might...And that may contribute to unpleasant health consequences.
After spending forty years in the wilderness, the children of Israel crossed into the Promised Land arriving to immediately face what seemed an impregnable fortress and an impossible task. Imagine receiving the instruction to march around the fortified city seven times, then finally be commanded to shout with all your might and sound shofars!
According to church history, the apostle Thomas, died in Calamina, a city in the East Indies. While there, Thomas had put a stop to the idolatry that was running rampant in the land. The idolatrous priest was not happy about this at all and accused him before their king. The king sentenced Thomas to death -- first to be tormented by red hot plates and then cast into a glowing furnace and burned. When the priest saw that the fire was not hurting him, he pierced Thomas' side with spears and javelins, and finally Thomas died.