Experiencing The Peace Of God

Phil 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

Phil 4:5 Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.

Phil 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Phil 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Phil 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.

Phil 4:9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you.

This past week I was watching the news and saw a report of a robbery at a convenience store. The thieves didn’t use a gun, one of them heaved a fire extinguisher at the face of the clerk, knocking him out cold.

My father-in-law was over this past week and he shared with me how someone drove their truck into the home of one of his neighbors. They had just moved into the home and now it has been condemned by the county until they can get it repaired.

Yesterday, I met a man getting out of his car very slowly; both his knees had braces on them. I asked how he was doing and he said, “not well.” I asked him “Why?” He answered, “My knees are busted up so bad I can barely walk.” I told him that God was still good and encouraged him to thank the Lord for that. I went on to tell him about my daughter Precious who, in her thirties, has cerebral palsy and cannot walk and has to be tube fed, etc.

A little over two weeks ago, a fourth-grader at Linton Springs Elementary School in Eldersburg, became ill on a Saturday and died Sunday at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Blood cultures confirmed that she was infected with bacterial meningitis.

Some years ago I was sitting in my car in front of my mother’s house—the home where I spent part of my life. I looked down the street and saw Mr. Casey’s house, the one with the lawn that used to be well manicured. It wasn’t any more. Tall grass and weeds had grown over the sidewalk that was once razor straight. Mr. Casey had Alzheimer’s disease. He used to be a man on the go-- always working on some project.

At that time his wife lived alone in their split-level home and made daily visits to the nursing home. As I got out of my car and walked towards my mother’s house I noticed the words on the rear window of my brother’s truck, “LYF SUKS”.

It is not hard to dwell on the crime, wars, tsunamis, evil politics, divorce, sickness, death and the dishonesty of deceitful people and find yourself coming to the same conclusion: Life Sucks.

The Apostle Paul, who under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote the letter to the Phillipian church, had his share of trials and tribulations. In 2 Corinthians, Paul lets his readers in on some of what he had been going through as he went around preaching and teaching the Word of God:

Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness; besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. (2 Cor 11:25-28)

The Apostle Paul wrote Philippians from a Roman jail. He was a prisoner of Nero, the man who used Christians as human torches to light up the city of Rome at night. Paul had heaven to look forward to, but had to go through the valley of the shadow of death to get there. He knew he would eventually be executed for preaching the Word of God.

Taking all this and more into consideration, the apostle Paul could have written to the Phillipian believers, “After contemplating my hellish experiences, the deplorable condition of the local church and my certain demise, I have come to the conclusion that life sucks.”

But he didn’t. He wrote: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

Paul encouraged his readers to rejoice! Once?, twice? NO!!! ALWAYS!!!