Joy in God's Provision (Philippians 4:1–7)
“Always be full of joy in the Lord,” Paul tells the Philippians. He then punctuates that command by writing, “ I say it again — rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4).
In times of suffering, adversity, or need, it';s difficult for us humans to allow ourselves to feel much of anything good, let alone feel joyful. But Paul isn';t just telling his readers to feel joy in the midst of suffering, adversity, and need, he';s doing it in writing for them!
Paul wrote: “Don';t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God';s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7).
Jesus was teaching something very similar to what Paul is saying in this passage, “When you pray, don';t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don';t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him” (Matthew 6:7–8).
This sounds like a simple formula, and in some ways it is. Paul is telling his readers that when they are in a tough spot or in a time of need, just do the following:
Stop worrying.
Pray and tell God what you need.
Thank God for what He';s already done and for what He';s going to do.
Rest in the peace of God, which is itself beyond human understanding.
That sounds like a tall order for a lot of believers, especially those who are going through difficult times. It';s hard not to worry when you or a loved one is sick and you don';t know what';s going to happen next. It';s hard sometimes to tell God what you need, especially when you may not know specifically what kind of difficulty you are looking at. It';s hard to be thankful when things aren';t going well. And it';s hardest of all to rest in the peace of God when life is anything but peaceful.
But Paul tells us it can be done, and he tells us that there is something of a supernatural intervention on the part of God himself when we simply take the steps laid out for us in Philippians 4:6–7. Again, this is all coming from a man who knew all too well the need for inner peace in the face of trials and tribulations. So if you';re looking for someone with some credibility when it comes to such things, look at the apostle Paul, who in all things, no matter how difficult or insurmountable they may have seemed, knew to look to his heavenly Father who always provided what Paul needed when he needed it.
Study Questions
Can you think of times when God provided — maybe even miraculously — for something you needed but didn';t see any way of getting? How did you respond?
What seemingly impossible trial or test are you facing right now? How are you responding to it?
