rejoice
When Sarah was almost 3 she had what we thought was a seizure.
I was sure she had a brain tumor and we were going to lose her.
I wondered what it would be like to raise her twin, Beth without her.
While Bill and I sat in the waiting room at the hospital,
he encouraged me to commit Philippians 4:6-7 to memory.
He coached me through the process.
Before we left I knew I would be using these verses again.
When I got home I read the verses in context and memorized a bit more.
Last night I had a hard time falling asleep.
As I laid in the dark, the Spirit of God brought that passage to mind.
Philippians 4:4-8
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
The beauty of having God's Word hidden in you heart
is that His Spirit brings it to mind.
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near."
Why should I rejoice?
Why should I practice gentleness-especially when emotions rage?
Because the Lord is near.
He is faithful.
He holds me.
He carries me.
I am not alone.
"Do not be anxious about anything,
but in every situation,
by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God."
I rejoice every time I think about how He is near.
Always.
Knowing He is near motivates me
in every situation,
by prayer
by petition
to present my requests to Him.
I know He hears.
I have found that when I practice rejoicing,
when I carry every thing to Him in prayer,
that the result is His peace.
"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
.
Rejoicing
Being gentle
Praying
Is not a cure all for keeping anxious thoughts from my mind!
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
When I am thinking about
what is true
what is noble
what is right
what is pure
what is lovely
what is admirable
what is excellent
what is praiseworthy
there is not much room for anxious thoughts.
This life is temporary.
Keeping an eternal perspective is vital!
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."
I was sure she had a brain tumor and we were going to lose her.
I wondered what it would be like to raise her twin, Beth without her.
While Bill and I sat in the waiting room at the hospital,
he encouraged me to commit Philippians 4:6-7 to memory.
He coached me through the process.
Before we left I knew I would be using these verses again.
When I got home I read the verses in context and memorized a bit more.
Last night I had a hard time falling asleep.
As I laid in the dark, the Spirit of God brought that passage to mind.
Philippians 4:4-8
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
The beauty of having God's Word hidden in you heart
is that His Spirit brings it to mind.
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near."
Why should I rejoice?
Why should I practice gentleness-especially when emotions rage?
Because the Lord is near.
He is faithful.
He holds me.
He carries me.
I am not alone.
"Do not be anxious about anything,
but in every situation,
by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God."
I rejoice every time I think about how He is near.
Always.
Knowing He is near motivates me
in every situation,
by prayer
by petition
to present my requests to Him.
I know He hears.
I have found that when I practice rejoicing,
when I carry every thing to Him in prayer,
that the result is His peace.
"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
.
Rejoicing
Being gentle
Praying
Is not a cure all for keeping anxious thoughts from my mind!
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
When I am thinking about
what is true
what is noble
what is right
what is pure
what is lovely
what is admirable
what is excellent
what is praiseworthy
there is not much room for anxious thoughts.
This life is temporary.
Keeping an eternal perspective is vital!
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."
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