Oct 3 Jeremiah 6, Jeremiah 7:1-29 Philippians 4:2-23 Proverbs 24:5-14

Phil 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 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.

How often should we rejoice in the Lord? Always! What a much better way that is to live, than getting anxious about things. A rejoicing heart is a heart that gives thanks. The more we give thanks, the more we see what God is doing. The more we see what God is doing, the more we will give to Him in prayer and supplication. There more we pray, the more our hearts and minds will be guarded – the more we will be at peace.

Anxiety is often our default, but it is by far the worst route. Instead of getting anxious about things today – rejoice. Again I say, rejoice! I love that Paul says it twice, just to make sure we get it!

Phil 4:8

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

It’s easy to think about bad things. It doesn’t take much to find a  way to focus on them. Turn on the news, bad things will present themselves to you immediately.

It’s easy to be negative or to get down. Gravity always pulls us down and the world works like gravity on our minds.

Stress, anxiety, busyness, concern… of of these things can pull us down when they become our focus.

So Paul has a solution to that…. don’t focus on them!

Instead focus on good things. If we look at things that are pure, just, lovely, commendable and so on (incidentally God is all these things) then our outlook changes.

If you lived in a house, where out of one window you could see a beautiful garden and out of another an industrial complex… guess which window will do you the most good?

Phil 4:11-13

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Paul had to learn that contentment and joy were not circumstance dependent. Paul went though a lot, and as one could imagine it got to him. But it taught him a valuable lesson – that he could be content in every circumstance. Experience was his teacher in that regard, he’d had plenty and he’d faced hunger. He’d had plenty and he’d been in need. 

But not only has Paul learned contentment he also learned that he can get through anything – because Christ strengthens him. 

No matter what you face you can get through it, because it’s Christ who strengthens you. We need to understand this verse in it’s context. Paul isn’t saying he can do absolutely anything because Christ strengthens him – he can’t fly. He can’t make money fall from the sky… that’s not what he’s saying. He’s saying in the context of all this, he’s learned he can get through anything – anything and still be content – because he does nothing in his own strength, but Christ’s. 

When Christ is your strength, you can get through anything life throws at you and still rejoice.