Advent Devotions - Dec 19

Today's reading comes from Lutheran Hour Ministries and the scripture is Philippians 4:5-7.

5Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

These verses are part of a reminder from Paul to stand firm in the Lord. They are practical ways to stay grounded in Christ.
1. be reasonable....why? The Lord is at hand
2. do not be anxious...why? We can let our requests be made known to God

And the end result?
The peace of God will guard our hearts and minds IN Christ.

God does not want us to be an anxious worried people.
He wants for us to be a people who know that we can go to him for everything, through Christ. That doesn't mean we can ask for things that are wrong, or selfish, or greedy....we come to him through Christ so that our requests are what they aught to be. We come to him with our requests through prayer bringing our supplications WHILE we offer him thanksgiving.

Yesterday we saw how much we have to be thankful for, so when we do bring him our requests, we aught to thank him for all he has already given us.

When we do all this...GOD'S peace will guard us. It will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ.

I read that, and it just sounds so relaxing to me. I know that I am not on duty to keep myself "all proper as a Christian". That if I come to God with all my wants and needs while thanking him for all he has done HE is the one who will guard my heart and mind with HIS peace. I don't need to do it at all then.

Wow... that's a real brain thumper for me today.
I am a person who gets so lost sometimes in my own thoughts and my 'stuff'. I have to fight so hard so many times a day to not get lost in my own brain....and I know that God wants more from me than that. But don't you see, it's not my battle...it's all God's. And that's just way cool. All I have to do is what I already try to do...but just better and with more focus. And what a way to keep me focused on God....to say God, I need help with this, and thank you for all the times that you done thus and such, or thanks for a warm house on a cold day or... you get the drift I'm sure...and then my battle for my mind won't be my battle...it will be God's. He'll guard it. Neat huh?

My brain is full to running over....