Be On Guard!
"And the peace of God, which
surpasses
all understanding, will guard your hearts
and minds through Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4: 7
The word “guard” in Philippians 4:7 is the term
phroureo, which is used in 2 Corinthians 11:32 to
describe how the governor of Damascus guarded
the city gates to keep Paul from escaping.
The same word is used in 1 Peter 1:5, which says we
“are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the
salvation that's ready to be revealed in the last time.”
According to Philippians 4, we have the
transcendent peace of God protecting
our hearts and minds.
Our part is explained in verse 6: “Do not be
anxious about anything, but in every situation,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.”
The worries and cares of life can overwhelm us
at times, but when we bring our worries to God
in prayer, His peace guards our hearts and
minds like a soldier guarding a city.
"We need to cultivate patience in the
midst
of our trials [knowing] that God is actively
working on our behalf to bring us to a
better day."
Philip De
Courcy