Philippians 4:6-7
Don’t worry about anything;
instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to
thank him for his answers. If you do this, you will experience God’s
peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.
His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as
you trust in Christ Jesus.
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
I have not written a
devotional in a few days now. On Tuesday morning, January 12th, just
before noon, my mother left this earthly home to be with Jesus. My
“sisters” - Suzanne, Janet, and Suzanne - and I, our beloved cousin,
Janette, and Mom’s husband, Lee, were all with her. Even though she had
been leaving us for several days…when the appointed time came, she
soared away rather abruptly - with little warning, and no fanfare. I
noticed her breathing change and said to my stepsister, Suzanne, who is a
nurse, “I think she is leaving”…and she nodded in agreement. Less than
two minutes later, the gates of Heaven opened, and the angels ushered
my mother into the presence of Jesus Christ – and my dad, brother, and
all of her loved ones who were surely there to greet her.
It must
have been one heckuva party…and I’m more than a little jealous! My
mother’s words echoed in my head as Timothy told me later, “I wish we
could go to heaven, too.” Mother would say, “You will…when it’s time.
But you still have work to do here!” Ever the pragmatist, Mother was
realistic and practical – almost to a fault.
But in her last
days, my mother left me with some parting pearls of wisdom. As I
tearfully held her on the couch one evening, she asked about my
mother-in-law, who just buried her middle son 12 days ago. I told her
she was doing well, and Mother said, “She is a strong woman.” “You are a
strong woman, too,” I reminded her…and she replied, “There’s no other
way to be.” Mother also told me that Greg and I have a lot to
process…and we do…but she insisted that she knew we would be okay – that
we would get through all of this. And thankfully, her last lucid
statement to me was…”I love you so much.” I told her, “I love you, too,
Mommy.” After that, she smiled at me a few times, but she drifted into
a semi-conscious state and waited for her ticket to heaven to be
punched.
The second my mother left us, her face took on a
peaceful appearance. It was unlike any I have ever encountered in my
previous experiences with a death. She was Home…she was whole…and all
was well. The peace that came over me was inexplicable…that “peace that
passes understanding.” But I knew that all truly was well…that God had
once again answered our prayers and fixed the things that we could
not…and that He had given my mother the greatest gift of all…a seat at
Jesus’ feet for all Eternity.
Countless people have commented to
me in recent days about what they perceive as my amazing strength. I
would say to you that none of this is me…and I have had plenty of
“moments” where you would not see one ounce of poise and confidence in
my demeanor. But as much as this passage from Philippians was one of my
mother’s favorites…it is mine, as well. In a profound way, I have
learned to “let go and let God”…to quit worrying…to fear nothing…to
BELIEVE what God has promised, and to let Him meet my needs and comfort
me. And He has…He IS! As my mother said a few days ago, “There’s no
other way to be.”
I also watched my mother comfort and encourage
others in her last days. She smiled at nurses and aides and thanked
them genuinely for their care. She prayed with relatives who came to
say “Good-bye” and charged them to accomplish certain goals in their
lives moving forward. Mother ministered to us as a family and brought
us closer together in many instances. She served God faithfully until
the very last minute.
My question for all of us today is
this…”Will we be able to say the same thing when our ‘ticket’ is
punched?” Is God’s peace keeping your heart and thoughts quiet as you
make your way through the day? When the angels come for you, will you
have accomplished all that God set out for you to complete?
Make
this the day that you figure out what is really important…and what is
just filling your day. Determine what you need to let go of…and what God is
calling you to do with the time you have left - whether it is one day
or decades. Release your worries and fears…and operate in His peace.
There truly is “no other way to be.”
©2016 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label peace that passes understanding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label peace that passes understanding. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for November 8, 2015
Philippians 4:6-7
Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
As I tucked Timothy into bed, he was fretting about going to sleep in the dark. I told him, “You worry too much!” “But I like to worry,” he replied. “Well, trust me...” I answered. “It’s a waste of time!”
Even though he is only six, I have begun to encourage Timothy to pray about his worries. I know that the sooner he learns to do this, the better. And I speak from experience as a life-long, expert worrier!
These are the well-known “peace that passes understanding” scriptures in Philippians, and I love how this translation describes that peace as “a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good” to “come and settle you down.” The more I learn to give my worries to God and rest in this promise, the better – and less stressful – life gets. I’m working hard to instill this same assurance in our little ones…and I pray that it is so for you, as well.
Are you ready to give God your worries and live in His amazing and all-encompassing peace? Don’t you think it’s time you were?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
As I tucked Timothy into bed, he was fretting about going to sleep in the dark. I told him, “You worry too much!” “But I like to worry,” he replied. “Well, trust me...” I answered. “It’s a waste of time!”
Even though he is only six, I have begun to encourage Timothy to pray about his worries. I know that the sooner he learns to do this, the better. And I speak from experience as a life-long, expert worrier!
These are the well-known “peace that passes understanding” scriptures in Philippians, and I love how this translation describes that peace as “a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good” to “come and settle you down.” The more I learn to give my worries to God and rest in this promise, the better – and less stressful – life gets. I’m working hard to instill this same assurance in our little ones…and I pray that it is so for you, as well.
Are you ready to give God your worries and live in His amazing and all-encompassing peace? Don’t you think it’s time you were?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for November 20, 2012
Philippians 4:6-7
Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
When I was 29 years old, I was diagnosed with endometriosis… a disease in which pieces of the uterine lining “go rogue” and migrate to other parts of the body, attach and grow. This is very painful… and in my case, some of this tissue attached to my colon. The solution was a hysterectomy – removal of my reproductive organs. Doctors don’t like to perform this procedure on otherwise healthy women of child-bearing age. But in my case, there was no other option. In fact, I went into surgery knowing that part of my colon might have to be removed, as well… and thankfully that was not necessary.
This was a scary time for me and my family. It was also a time of calm and peace. Yes, I was nervous about major surgery. But I was so anxious to feel better… to be rid of the thing that caused me daily discomfort and distress. I still remember lying in the pre-op room while a nurse administered the first medications before anesthesia. My surgery had been delayed several hours because of some emergencies, and as the medication hit my system, my blood pressure bottomed out, and I was “gone!” When I came to, the nurse was frantically working to get me to speak. I think she thought she had killed me!
After determining that I was okay, the medical team continued their work, and I remember thinking, “I will either wake up in the recovery room… or in heaven… and either one is okay.” I was not the most mature Christian at 29, but I trusted God… and He carried me safely through that – and many scary days since!
You may have Philippians 4:6-7 before… it’s the “peace that passes all understanding” passage. But what does that mean? In this translation, we see this phrase explained as “a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good to settle you down.” In my case, God washed over me with a sense that everything was coming together as He wished… and I truly was settled down. More times than I can count, I have poured out my frustrations, fears, anxieties and distresses to God, and He has settled me. And the more I practice this… the easier it becomes.
I have told you that I have momentary times of panic…days when I am shrouded in worry, and the devil really does a number on me. But they are becoming more infrequent as I learn to walk more in the wholeness of God. I have to remind myself often that God is in control… because the devil is always right there shouting, “Yeah, but what about such-and-such? Shouldn’t you be upset about that?” If you ever pass me and I’m mumbling, “Go away, devil!”… you’ll know I am not talking to YOU!
I think it’s time we all had a “devil-ectomy!” Let’s remove the offending thing that causes us worry, pain and distress! Let’s shroud ourselves in the wholeness and operate in the inexplicable “peace that passes all understanding.” Haven’t you had enough? Aren’t you ready to settle down in the LORD? Isn’t today a great day to begin?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
When I was 29 years old, I was diagnosed with endometriosis… a disease in which pieces of the uterine lining “go rogue” and migrate to other parts of the body, attach and grow. This is very painful… and in my case, some of this tissue attached to my colon. The solution was a hysterectomy – removal of my reproductive organs. Doctors don’t like to perform this procedure on otherwise healthy women of child-bearing age. But in my case, there was no other option. In fact, I went into surgery knowing that part of my colon might have to be removed, as well… and thankfully that was not necessary.
This was a scary time for me and my family. It was also a time of calm and peace. Yes, I was nervous about major surgery. But I was so anxious to feel better… to be rid of the thing that caused me daily discomfort and distress. I still remember lying in the pre-op room while a nurse administered the first medications before anesthesia. My surgery had been delayed several hours because of some emergencies, and as the medication hit my system, my blood pressure bottomed out, and I was “gone!” When I came to, the nurse was frantically working to get me to speak. I think she thought she had killed me!
After determining that I was okay, the medical team continued their work, and I remember thinking, “I will either wake up in the recovery room… or in heaven… and either one is okay.” I was not the most mature Christian at 29, but I trusted God… and He carried me safely through that – and many scary days since!
You may have Philippians 4:6-7 before… it’s the “peace that passes all understanding” passage. But what does that mean? In this translation, we see this phrase explained as “a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good to settle you down.” In my case, God washed over me with a sense that everything was coming together as He wished… and I truly was settled down. More times than I can count, I have poured out my frustrations, fears, anxieties and distresses to God, and He has settled me. And the more I practice this… the easier it becomes.
I have told you that I have momentary times of panic…days when I am shrouded in worry, and the devil really does a number on me. But they are becoming more infrequent as I learn to walk more in the wholeness of God. I have to remind myself often that God is in control… because the devil is always right there shouting, “Yeah, but what about such-and-such? Shouldn’t you be upset about that?” If you ever pass me and I’m mumbling, “Go away, devil!”… you’ll know I am not talking to YOU!
I think it’s time we all had a “devil-ectomy!” Let’s remove the offending thing that causes us worry, pain and distress! Let’s shroud ourselves in the wholeness and operate in the inexplicable “peace that passes all understanding.” Haven’t you had enough? Aren’t you ready to settle down in the LORD? Isn’t today a great day to begin?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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