Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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.
This past summer, I was driving with my family on the Cimarron Turnpike in Oklahoma when we ran into a serious storm. Lightening was ripping across the sky. Rain was coming down in sheets. Cars were pulling off to the side of the road. We were moving all of 15 mph. And no end was in sight.
Life has its share of storms. Some come with lightening and rain. Some storms come with job loss, illness, separation, divorce, or undesired singleness. Some storms hit with that final enemy—death. I spoke to a neighbor recently whose wife of 59 years suddenly passed away. He took her to the hospital on a Friday…she was gone by Saturday afternoon. Through tears of grief he asked me, “Is this ever going to get better?” Maybe you are asking the same question.
Our passage today tells us exactly what to do when storms hit—pray. Using anxiety as an alarm we, “present [our] requests to God.” He replaces anxiety with a peace that “transcends all understanding.” It is a peace that guards our hearts and minds.
That storm on the Cimarron Turnpike? Yeah, we were in it for quite a while. But just as we were coming to our exit, the rains stopped, the clouds broke, and the bright blue sky shone through again. Storms come and go…and come and go again. But God’s peace “in Christ Jesus” is the constant that carries us all the way home.
Father, thank you for the promise of your peace that transcends all human understanding. Help us use our anxiety as an alarm to remind us it is time to talk to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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