Phil.4:4-7 – Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Paul is ending this letter to the church in Philippi with joy. Paul reminds us to rejoice and walk in the gentleness of Christ. He also told everyone not to be anxious, but to bring every need before the Lord in prayer with thanksgiving expecting the Lord’s faithful response. What would be the result? Answered prayer and supernatural peace would be God’s plan and this answered prayer is a taste of the coming kingdom. There is one little phrase that makes all of these admonitions very real and very accurate. What is the phrase? The Lord is near. When we discover the nearness of God in our world it changes our world. We see the power of prayer and His nearness causes us to rejoice just because of His nearness. Here is how the church father Chrysostom described this passage.
“It is comforting to know that the Lord is at hand.… Here is a medicine to relieve grief and every bad circumstance and every pain. What is it? To pray and to give thanks in everything. He does not wish that a prayer be merely a petition but a thanksgiving for what we have received.… How can one make petitions for the future without a thankful acknowledgment of past things?… So one ought to give thanks for everything, even what seems grievous. That is the mark of one who is truly thankful. Grief comes out of the circumstances with their demands. Thanksgiving comes from a soul that has true insight and a strong affection for God.”
So you just got a bad report from the doctor, bring your trouble to the Lord with thanksgiving. The Lord is at hand. You just got some bad financial news; pray and give thanks. The Lord is at hand. Your children are turning away from the Lord; seek the Lord in prayer and thank Him for the answer. The Lord is at hand. The Lord is at hand encouraging you, praying for you, empowering you, loving you and filling you with joy. Be anxious for nothing, the Lord is at hand.
