“Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things (Phil. 4:4-8).”
St. Paul was writing from prison and told the Philippians that they should have love for the Lord always and rejoice in that love since God’s love cannot be diminished by trials. Give thanks to the Lord and persevere in prayer. The Lord is always near so they should never be anxious, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear (Mt. 6:25).” Their minds cannot grasp the profound peace that God offers but may that peace protect them through faith in Christ Jesus. Everything that is good in this world has a divine origin and they should ponder such things when they have problems.
Almighty God, we thank you and praise you for the love and caring you give to us. Help us to cast our worries upon you and seek your peace because we can change nothing without your help. Protect us from all physical and spiritual harm and grant us the wisdom to find the narrow gate that leads to salvation. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.
References:
Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, & Roland E. Murphy, (Eds.). (1990, 1968). The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentis Hall, Inc.
Jose M. Casciaro, Santiago Ausin, Gonzalo Aranda, Claudio Basevi, Vincente Balaguer, Francisco Varo, James Gavigan, Brian McCarthy & Thomas McGovern (Eds.). (2017). The Navarre Bible - New Testament. Dublin 8, Ireland: Four Courts Press.
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