Devotional Messages

DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE

Philippians 4:5-7 – Let your gentleness be known to everyone.  The Lord is near.  Do not worry 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. (NRSV)

Sometimes it doesn’t take very many words to make a hard teaching.  In times when cruelty and contempt stalk our streets seeking their prey, it’s hard to feel like gentleness is a virtue.  In times when bombs are dropping on children and hospitals in so many different places, it’s hard to not worry or to be grateful.

But these verses don’t ask us to pretend that everything is okay.  In reminding us that “the Lord is near,” they are asking us to remember that we do not face these difficulties alone.  And for that we can give thanks.

It is hard to imagine how the peace of God can come into our hearts and minds, when so much chaos and uncertainty is swirling around us.  I think there’s a reason the writer of Philippians reminds us that we can’t fully comprehend God’s peace.  Our ideas of peace usually depend on the “bad guys” getting their “just deserts”; we forget that our warring ways mean that good and bad are both mixed up on every side of a conflict.

The violence of the world has become almost overwhelming in recent days.  The Spirit has put upon my heart the need to call us together for prayer.  We will be opening up the sanctuary on Thursdays at 12:15, for people to stop in and pray for peace.  We’ll be there about 30 minutes, but it’s not expected that everyone will stay the whole time.  Come and light a candle.  Come and sit in the quiet, with soft music in the background and tap into the peace of God, without having to understand it all.  Come and share your requests with God, so that you can worry less and give thanks more.