Philippians 4:4-7 (NRSV)
Read Philippians 4:4-7 on biblegateway.com
Verse 4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Verse 5Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Verse 6Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Verse 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Devotion
Economic forecasts look dim. Unemployment is high. Too many families to count have lost their homes in the mortgage crisis. Thinking about the future can elicit anxiety. We worry. This worry can steal our consciousness, rob us of daily peace and contentment. Thinking negatively about our future is self-destructive. Thinking positively about our future energizes us and gives us direction and enthusiasm. Even if the near future looks dark and dim, we have the Bible's promise that the ultimate future—God's promised future—will be so bright that the New Jerusalem will not even need the sun for light. If the streets of the New Jerusalem are paved with gold, then what's a little poverty in the present? "Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (Philippians 4:6).
Prayer
God of comfort, protect us from the grip of anxiety and liberate us from the chains of worry. Strengthen us to live in daily confidence and contentment. Amen.