Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me – everything you heard from me and saw me doing.  Then the God of peace will be with you. – Philippians 4:9

How much peace do you have in your heart, mind, and life right now?  I sit here this morning just meditating on the Word of the Lord and I’m astonished at how much peace I have right now.  Peace is truly a gift from God.  2024 has been a bad year.  If I let my mind go there (and I sometimes do), this year was so close to being a devastating year.  For many, there is no “close to” . . . it has been flat out devastating. 

I’ve always loved a saying that I heard when I first became a follower of Jesus:  If you know the Lord, your life on Earth is as bad as it is ever going to get, but if you don’t know the Lord, your life on Earth is as good as it’s ever going to get.  When things are bad, this helps me remember how temporary my whole life is, and I look forward to the day when my faith will be made into sight.  When things are good, this helps me immediately praise God and thank Him for just how wonderful He has made my life, because I certainly don’t deserve it.  Through all of it, I thank Him for just how much He has changed me.  I thank Him for the gift of salvation.  Evil does seem to be trying to destroy me right now, but without Jesus in my life, I know I would have already self-destructed.

So, what does Paul practice that he wants us to put into practice?  In context, it involves our thought life.  The previous verse says we are to fix our thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable.  We are to think of things that are excellent and worthy of praise.  (See Philippians 4:8)

As I sit here this morning an hour or so before I take off for work, my mind wants to gravitate towards negativity.  I intentionally fight this.  In John 14:6 Jesus says, “I am the truth,” so I meditate on that.  He alone is worthy of glory, honor, and praise.  He teaches me what is right, and He has purified my heart, saved my soul, and changed my mind.  When we simply think of Jesus and all that He did to make a way for all of us sinners to be saved . . . how lovely . . . how admirable.  The fight for me is to keep it at the forefront of my mind as I go through this day and not wait until this time tomorrow to put this into practice again.

Why take the time to do all of this?  Because I want peace in my life.  I’ve come to thrive on peace.  The Lord is my shepherd.  He really does make me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters.  Sheep won’t drink from fast running waters.  Things must be calm, and they must know the shepherd is near before they can truly rest and take a drink.

Here I am right now, just for a moment, in perfect rest and perfect peace. 

How great is our God that such a place is even possible?

Lord, You are amazing!  You have given us the formula for peace!  It all has to do with what we focus our minds upon.  Help me keep my mind upon You this day.  Help me honor You with my life this day.  One day, it will be my last day on this planet.  Then I won’t have to set my mind on things above, for my faith will be made into sight.  While I’m here, please grant me every tool available to stay on the narrow path that leads to life: The power of the Holy Spirit, the blood of the lamb, the word of the Lord, a clean heart, and a mind that gravitates towards the things of God.  May you truly bless and keep all who have placed their trust in You.  Send revival, Lord!  May all come to believe in Jesus, for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved.  Do for the lost the same thing You did for me when I was lost.  Amen.