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April 20th, 2009 Peace vs Understanding

Posted by Jay at 5:16 pm

How many times have I read Philippians 4:6-7 [show]<div class="esv"><h2>Philippians 4:6-7 <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.esvapi.org/assets/play.swf?myUrl=hw%2F50004006-50004007" width="40" height="12" class="audio"><param name="movie" value="http://www.esvapi.org/assets/play.swf?myUrl=hw%2F50004006-50004007" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /></object></h2> <div class="esv-text">6 do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus. (<a href="http://www.esv.org" class="copyright">ESV</a>) </div> </div>
? Hundreds? Certainly. Thousands? Maybe. Yet a few weeks ago in our Sunday liturgy, we said those verses as a congregation, and I heard something entirely new.

Wind back to November of last year. It had been a terrific few months at Viewzi. However, we hit the wall on our fundraising with the downturn in October, and by November payroll was, well, not. We all kept working at it, and the company has continued to have some success by shifting focus to more immediate, revenue-driving projects. However, the new approach really wasn’t a fit for my contribution. I’ve continued to office with the guys and collaborate on some opportunities, but by the time I heard the Philippians passage that Sunday in late March, I had been over 4 months without a paycheck.

February was the low point for me. Interestingly, our church’s service also played a key role then as well. We sang that wonderful rendition of Psalm 130 [show]<div class="esv"><h2>Psalm 130 <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.esvapi.org/assets/play.swf?myUrl=hw%2F19130001-19130008" width="40" height="12" class="audio"><param name="movie" value="http://www.esvapi.org/assets/play.swf?myUrl=hw%2F19130001-19130008" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /></object></h2> <div class="esv-text"><h3 id="p19130001.01-1">My Soul Waits for the Lord</h3> <h4 class="psalm-title" id="p19130001.07-1">A Song of Ascents.</h4> <div class="block-indent"> 130:1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! 2 O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! 3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. 5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 6 my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. 7 O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. 8 And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities. (<a href="http://www.esv.org" class="copyright">ESV</a>) </div> </div> </div>
, and I sang it quietly to myself each day for weeks as I learned to patiently wait on the Lord. Now in March I was doing pretty well in terms of my outlook. I’d even started a couple ventures that were starting to generate revenue. And we said Philippians 4:6-7 [show]<div class="esv"><h2>Philippians 4:6-7 <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.esvapi.org/assets/play.swf?myUrl=hw%2F50004006-50004007" width="40" height="12" class="audio"><param name="movie" value="http://www.esvapi.org/assets/play.swf?myUrl=hw%2F50004006-50004007" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /></object></h2> <div class="esv-text">6 do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus. (<a href="http://www.esv.org" class="copyright">ESV</a>) </div> </div>
in the liturgy, and it was like I heard it for the first time.

What had I always heard before? That God’s peace goes beyond anything we can make sense of. We experience his peace in circumstances that should not lead to peace. And I think this is exactly what the verses state, yet I’m now convinced there is even more.

What causes worry? When do we wallow in worry instead of experiencing peace? I’d suggest the Bible’s admonitions exactly match our experience. In Matthew 6 [show]<div class="esv"><h2>Matthew 6 <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.esvapi.org/assets/play.swf?myUrl=hw%2F40006001-40006034" width="40" height="12" class="audio"><param name="movie" value="http://www.esvapi.org/assets/play.swf?myUrl=hw%2F40006001-40006034" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /></object></h2> <div class="esv-text"><h3 id="p40006001.01-1">Giving to the Needy</h3> 6:1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. <h3 id="p40006005.01-1">The Lord's Prayer</h3> 5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this: <div class="block-indent"> “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. <a href="#f1" id="b1" title="Or 'Let your name be kept holy', or 'Let your name be treated with reverence'">[1]</a> 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, <a href="#f2" id="b2" title="Or 'Let your kingdom come, let your will be done'">[2]</a> on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, <a href="#f3" id="b3" title="Or 'our bread for tomorrow'">[3]</a> 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. <a href="#f4" id="b4" title="Or 'the evil one'; some manuscripts add 'For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen'">[4]</a> </div> 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. <h3 id="p40006016.01-1">Fasting</h3> 16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. <h3 id="p40006019.01-1">Lay Up Treasures in Heaven</h3> 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust <a href="#f5" id="b5" title="Or 'worm'; also verse 20">[5]</a> destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. <a href="#f6" id="b6" title="Greek 'mammon', a Semitic word for money or possessions">[6]</a> <h3 id="p40006025.01-1">Do Not Be Anxious</h3> 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? <a href="#f7" id="b7" title="Or 'a single cubit to his stature'; a 'cubit' was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters">[7]</a> 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (<a href="http://www.esv.org" class="copyright">ESV</a>) </div> <div class="footnotes"> <h3>Footnotes</h3> <a href="#b1" id="f1">[1]</a> 6:9 Or Let your name be kept holy, or Let your name be treated with reverence <a href="#b2" id="f2">[2]</a> 6:10 Or Let your kingdom come, let your will be done <a href="#b3" id="f3">[3]</a> 6:11 Or our bread for tomorrow <a href="#b4" id="f4">[4]</a> 6:13 Or the evil one; some manuscripts add For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen <a href="#b5" id="f5">[5]</a> 6:19 Or worm; also verse 20 <a href="#b6" id="f6">[6]</a> 6:24 Greek mammon, a Semitic word for money or possessions <a href="#b7" id="f7">[7]</a> 6:27 Or a single cubit to his stature; a cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters </div> </div>
, Jesus asks us if we can add one moment to our life by worrying. We are told not to worry for food, clothing, or shelter, that God knows our needs. That we should think about today, and not fret about tomorrow.

There it is. We worry about the future. And Tricia and I, as we went months without income, worried. Tricia summed it up so well one evening when she told me, “If you told me we’d be in this situation for another 6 months, and then it would end, I’d be okay.” The situation wasn’t the only stress, it was our fears for the unknown future that were killing us. Not knowing was at the heart of the worry.

We worry because we do not know the future. We may mourn for what we do know or experience, we may experience real hardship, but we worry because of what we do not know. As we read Philippians 4:6-7 [show]<div class="esv"><h2>Philippians 4:6-7 <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.esvapi.org/assets/play.swf?myUrl=hw%2F50004006-50004007" width="40" height="12" class="audio"><param name="movie" value="http://www.esvapi.org/assets/play.swf?myUrl=hw%2F50004006-50004007" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /></object></h2> <div class="esv-text">6 do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus. (<a href="http://www.esv.org" class="copyright">ESV</a>) </div> </div>
in church, I suddenly heard it this way, “and the peace of God, which is of more value than knowing”. We don’t know the future. But God does. And his peace, which he brings us, is of far more value than us knowing, even knowing the future.

What is the antidote to our worries? From this point of view, Philippians 4:6-7 [show]<div class="esv"><h2>Philippians 4:6-7 <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.esvapi.org/assets/play.swf?myUrl=hw%2F50004006-50004007" width="40" height="12" class="audio"><param name="movie" value="http://www.esvapi.org/assets/play.swf?myUrl=hw%2F50004006-50004007" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /></object></h2> <div class="esv-text">6 do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus. (<a href="http://www.esv.org" class="copyright">ESV</a>) </div> </div>
and Matthew 6 [show]<div class="esv"><h2>Matthew 6 <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.esvapi.org/assets/play.swf?myUrl=hw%2F40006001-40006034" width="40" height="12" class="audio"><param name="movie" value="http://www.esvapi.org/assets/play.swf?myUrl=hw%2F40006001-40006034" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /></object></h2> <div class="esv-text"><h3 id="p40006001.01-1">Giving to the Needy</h3> 6:1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. <h3 id="p40006005.01-1">The Lord's Prayer</h3> 5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this: <div class="block-indent"> “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. <a href="#f1" id="b1" title="Or 'Let your name be kept holy', or 'Let your name be treated with reverence'">[1]</a> 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, <a href="#f2" id="b2" title="Or 'Let your kingdom come, let your will be done'">[2]</a> on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, <a href="#f3" id="b3" title="Or 'our bread for tomorrow'">[3]</a> 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. <a href="#f4" id="b4" title="Or 'the evil one'; some manuscripts add 'For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen'">[4]</a> </div> 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. <h3 id="p40006016.01-1">Fasting</h3> 16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. <h3 id="p40006019.01-1">Lay Up Treasures in Heaven</h3> 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust <a href="#f5" id="b5" title="Or 'worm'; also verse 20">[5]</a> destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. <a href="#f6" id="b6" title="Greek 'mammon', a Semitic word for money or possessions">[6]</a> <h3 id="p40006025.01-1">Do Not Be Anxious</h3> 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? <a href="#f7" id="b7" title="Or 'a single cubit to his stature'; a 'cubit' was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters">[7]</a> 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (<a href="http://www.esv.org" class="copyright">ESV</a>) </div> <div class="footnotes"> <h3>Footnotes</h3> <a href="#b1" id="f1">[1]</a> 6:9 Or Let your name be kept holy, or Let your name be treated with reverence <a href="#b2" id="f2">[2]</a> 6:10 Or Let your kingdom come, let your will be done <a href="#b3" id="f3">[3]</a> 6:11 Or our bread for tomorrow <a href="#b4" id="f4">[4]</a> 6:13 Or the evil one; some manuscripts add For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen <a href="#b5" id="f5">[5]</a> 6:19 Or worm; also verse 20 <a href="#b6" id="f6">[6]</a> 6:24 Greek mammon, a Semitic word for money or possessions <a href="#b7" id="f7">[7]</a> 6:27 Or a single cubit to his stature; a cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters </div> </div>
offer similar answers. We need to know that God knows our needs, and then we need to seek first his kingdom. And we need to believe that God’s care, God’s knowing, is far better than our knowing.

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April 20th, 2009 Peace vs Understanding

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