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
I don't know about you, but I'm a worrier. I worry about all sorts of things. And my worries do all sorts of things to me. They agitate me. They make me restless and anxious. They make me bitter and resentful. They sour my capacity to love the people in my life and they dampen the creative insight I could bring to my work. Yet in the midst of my annoying worries, the Lord Jesus is near. Through Jesus, my worries can become requests that make my needs known to God. And when that happens, the peace of God, which surpasses anything my thoughts and worries could conjure up, guards my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus. In the space that only God’s peace can create, I find myself embodying the gentleness—and the love and the creativity—needed for whatever it is I am facing. God’s grace is always sufficient.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, help me turn my worries into prayers so that I can live in God's peace. Amen.