The verses I chose for today are from Day 8 of the study. We were to read Philippians 4:4-9, and the verses to SOAP were Philippians 4:6-7. ( Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or praise for what it means to you. And if you've never tried this simple method, I hope that you will give it a try and see if you find it as helpful as I do.)
S= "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.
"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)
O= Paul wrote this letter to the church at Philippi while he was in prison in Rome.
C.I.Scofield says, "This is a tender letter to a group of Christians who were especially close to the heart of Paul."
Scofield titles the section containing these verses "The secret of the peace of God." Paul, in prison at Rome, obviously had that peace.
He counseled the Philippians to
* Be anxious for nothing
* Instead, in everything
* By prayer and supplication
* With thanksgiving
* Make their requests known to God.
The result would be that God's peace -- the peace which surpasses all human understanding -- would garrison their hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
The Amplified Bible gives a beautiful translation of verse 7: "And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
A= I am not to worry about even one thing. Of course there are, and will always be, things that concern me. But I am not to worry about them. Instead, I'm to bring every concern to God.
"Do you ever find yourself worrying? Do you know that Scripture calls
worry a sin? When you realized that you were worrying, did you go to God
and confess it as a sin? Worry is just as much a sin as adultery, or
murder, or theft. Yet how often we as believers treat it lightly when we
find our stomachs tied in knots because we have worried ourselves into a
nervous frenzy. We don’t realize that we have fallen into sin." -- Dwight Pentecost
Now that is a challenge!
I'm to pray over every concern that I have, being careful to include the element of thanksgiving for what God has already done and is doing.
I might tend to think that some of my concerns are too small to bring to God. But Barclay writes: "It has been beautifully put: 'There is nothing too great for God’s power; and nothing too small for his fatherly care.' A child may take anything, great or small, to a parent, sure that whatever happens to him is of interest there, his little triumphs and disappointments, his passing cuts and bruises; we may in exactly the same way take anything to God, sure of his interest and concern."
Concerning the element of thanksgiving, Pentecost helps our understanding with these thoughts: "Thanksgiving looks back to previous answers to prayer and gives thanks because God has worked in similar situations before. If there is something that is a burden to me today, I can go to God and remind Him that yesterday or last week or last month I was in the same situation, with the same gnawing anxiety, and I asked Him to do something, and He did it; so I thank Him for what He has done. Confidence for the future is based on what God has done in the past."
As I make my requests known to God in this manner, His unfathomable peace will guard not only my heart, but my mind through Christ Jesus.
P= "Lord, I praise You for the clear teaching in Your Word. I thank You that not only did Paul teach this, but he lived it out and practiced it, providing a wonderful example for the Philippians and for all believers down through the ages.
"Help me, Lord, as I seek to obey Your Word in this area of life. Help me to bring all of my concerns, large and small, to You in prayer, thanking You for all that You have done in the past, as well as for all that You will do.
"I am so thankful for Your promise that as I do this, Your unfathomable peace will guard my heart and my mind through Christ Jesus.
"I praise You in Jesus' name, Amen."
There is the simple Sunday Scripture for this week! I hope it was a blessing.
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