Philippians 4:4–7

Be grateful for all the Lord has done in your life and the lives of your family. 

Be joyful, it is our strength.

God’s peace protects us!!!

Maybe we've created our own circles through disobedience, or life's unexpected troubles have surrounded us and we feel like David in Psalm 22:16: "a pack of villains encircles me" (NIV). But holy work is accomplished even in our mundane moments as God sovereignly uses our struggles and failures to shape us for His glory and our good. The preparation needed for God's assignments takes time, and God has all the time in the world. When we feel like we are off track, God always makes a way to bring us back. Even at our worst, God works out His redemption of our story.

Moses gave the law, and Jesus gave grace and truth (John 1:17). Where the law of Moses could not justify, Christ could and did, not with the blood of bulls and goats but with His own blood. First5 

God,
Let us . . .
Be generous in prosperity,
and thankful in adversity.
Be fair in judgment,
and guarded in our speech.
Be a lamp unto those who walk
in darkness, and a home
to the stranger.
Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light
unto the feet of the erring.
Be a breath of life to the body of
humankind, a dew to the soil of
the human heart,
and a fruit upon the tree of humility.
Amen.

SabbathMoments 

Philippians 4:4–7

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. The New King James Version

The motif of maintaining joy in the midst of suffering is common in Paul’s writings. 

By displaying gentleness toward all people—believers and unbelievers alike—Christians reveal the gospel’s power to transform and reconcile. 

Paul again references the Day of Christ as motivation to live in a godly manner. Paul probably was aware of hardships facing the Philippians. Paul wants the believers to acknowledge their dependence on God and His provision. 

The Greek word used here, eirēnē, conveys a range of meanings, including well-being, prosperity, freedom from anxiety, safety from harm, and deliverance from enemies. Paul envisions God’s peace as a soldier who protects the hearts and minds of believers from anxiety, fear, and doubt. Faithlife Study Bible

In the midst of difficulties, in the midst of all situations, Christians are to rejoice. The joy of Christians is not based on agreeable circumstances, instead it is based on their relationship to God. Christians will face trouble in this world, but they should rejoice in the trials they face because they know God is using those situations to improve their character.

Gentleness identifies a person who manifests a calmness and fairness of spirit. A person who is gentle is willing to sacrifice his or her own personal rights to show consideration to others. 

Paul exhorts the Philippians to pray about their circumstances instead of worrying over them. He prohibits the Philippians from worrying about their own problems. Instead they are to commit their problems to God in prayer, trusting that He will provide deliverance.

Paul’s choice of a military term implies that the mind is in a battle zone and needs to be “protected by a military guard.” Since the purpose of such a guard in a wartime situation is either to prevent a hostile invasion or to keep the inhabitants of a besieged city from escaping, the peace of God operates in the same way: to protect the mind from external corrupting influences and to keep the mind focused on God’s truth. The NKJV Study Bible

As a remedy against perplexing care, constant prayer is recommended. Not only stated times for prayer, but in every thing by prayer. We must join thanksgivings with prayers and supplications; not only seek supplies of good, but own the mercies we have received. God needs not to be told our wants or desires; he knows them better than we do; but he will have us show that we value the mercy, and feel our dependence on him. The peace of God, the comfortable sense of being reconciled to God, and having a part in his favour, and the hope of the heavenly blessedness, are a greater good than can be fully expressed. This peace will keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus; it will keep us from sinning under troubles, and from sinking under them; keep us calm and with inward satisfaction.  Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Psalm 55:22 

Cast your burden on the LORD,

And He shall sustain you;

He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

Hebrews 10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

James 5:8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

Revelation 22:20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!