Prone to worry?

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.-Philippians 4:8 (ESV)

Thoughts on Today’s Verse

So many are the worries that can blight our lives, and the Lord knows that every concern starts with a single thought. How impossible to cast our burdens on Him, when our minds are drowned with destructive thinking. If only we could train our hearts to take each thought captive by handing to Him our cares and concerns, the moment they’re conceived in our minds.  In these final words of Paul to His children in Philippi, he encourages them towards the ‘right-thinking‘ that nestles in the heart of God’s Word. Not the humanistic  dead, ‘positive-thinking‘ philosophy of the world, that is trained on self,  but the spiritual, living,  ‘righteous-thinking‘, that emanate from our heavenly Lord. For all that is true and honest, all that is just and pure, all that is lovely  and gracious, all that is excellent and deserving of praise – all that is good, has its foundation upon Jesus.
For Jesus is the true and living way, Jesus is the faithful servant, Jesus is One Who is clothed in righteousness and He alone is worthy of praise. As each worry surfaces to blight our daily walk – let us take that thought immediately to Lord, turning the eyes of our heart upon Him.

My Prayer

Father, I am so prone to worry, which so quickly arrests my thoughts and shatters the perfect peace of Christ in my heart. It is my desire to turn my thoughts to you moment by moment, and I pray that Your Holy Spirit will help to guide me into right-thinking, which keeps the Lord Jesus at the center of my mind. I ask this in His precious name,
AMEN

GROW IN GRACE

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.-2 Peter 3:18 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today’s Verse

The grace of God spills over the pages of Paul’s epistles like so many sparkling jewels, and in the final words of this joyous letter, we as believers are extorted and encouraged to grow in the grace that has been so freely bestowed on all who believe in His free gift of salvation.  We are to dig our roots down into the depths of His Word and we are to reach out into the farthest extremities of His grace, which are higher than the heavens and deeper that the ocean depths. We are to grow and expand – we are to mature and ripen – we are to develop and flourish as day by day the Holy Spirit works within, to conform us into the image of His dear Son, removing every trace of prideful-self and vanity’s flesh. We are to grow in every facet of grace and virtue,  faith and love, holiness and understanding – wisdom and obedience, but there’s more:
We are to grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. This must be the pinnacle of God grace, that we increase in our knowing HIM. Intimately knowing Christ is what the aged Paul, in His final days of life, sought with every fiber of His being – and this intimate and personal relationship is what each of us must earnestly peruse for He, is indeed All in all.  To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

My Prayer

Father, that I may know Jesus and grow in grace day by day. AMEN