December 9 – Keeping Track

“The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever.” - Psalm 121:7-8 (NASB)

It is good to remember often how much our God is involved in our lives. Our verse today reminds us of this truth. We sometimes are tempted to think that we come and go all on our own. And we may think that we are on the go so much that no one else could really keep track of all our coming and goings. And then for God to keep track of all His children in this world, is this really possible? Yes it is and that is what this verse says. It includes all God's children all around the world and my friend, it includes each of us. Our God is watching over each of our lives and each of our movements and relationships. Whatever we are involved in and whatever our decisions and direction, God knows just were we are. That's a promise of God. While this may seem to some to have a temporal role at first glance, there are indications that it looks beyond to eternal life for he protects us from all evil from now even until forever.

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October 8 – What? We Worry?

“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 comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7 (NASB)

Don’t worry! We hear and we say this so many times in our lives. “I can’t help but worry!” we say. Why do we? One word. CONTROL. We wish to control our world and we do not like somethings that come into our world. We want to be in control and that means everything and everyone around us. Spend a little time on social media and you’ll see how full it is of people spouting off their fix-it solutions. Here is what happens: We worry, no matter what it’s about, and we chase our peace of mind and heart out the door. “Scat!” is what we say to our peace. A better way is to follow verse 6 so we can enjoy the promise in verse 7. Simple and easy (when we rely on God) is the way. Next time refuse to think for even a moment that our worries have any effect on any outcome. Acknowledge that anxiety (worry) is powerless in the realm of fixing anything. If we do, we receive a promised peace that we will not understand and it will guard our hearts and minds against renewed anxious thoughts.

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June 20 – Guarding You In All Your Ways

“Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge—no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” - Psalm 91:9-11 (ESV)

Ever heard often about promises of guardian angels? We believe that they are watching over us although we can't see them. Sometimes we sense God’s Spirit and presence and believe this is because of His angels watching over us. As we read this promise today, we are reminded who it is that gets this special protection. Notice that it is those who believe in the LORD, Most High. Our spelling and grammar checkers want to change the “Most High” to “Highest” but that is not really the same thing, is it?  It is in the LORD Most High that we find our dwelling place and profess Him as our refuge. How do we dwell in the Most High? We do so by faith believing the promises God has given to us. So let's remember that we live, or dwell in our LORD when we trust Him at all times – not just once in a while. We learn to trust and obey not only when things are tough but even when they are not so tough. Living in God is a constant that comes through a constant faith. 

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June 28 – No Tripping, No Falling Away

“You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness,  but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen”  - 2 Peter 3:17-18 (NASB)

If we take the time to consider, we might find that our current situation in this world has encroached into parts previously spared much of the trials and tribulations being experienced in other parts of our globe.  These events and conditions are not a surprise to anyone that understands and believes that God is sovereign and is not one that needs to be questioned as regarding His motives or reasons.  God does what He choses and is  perfect in all He does.  It is common today to think that the Lord God has somehow missed the cue on a few things.  But that comes from our thinking He must fit our concept of justice.  He fits only His justice which is without fault.  So our promise comes as a warning.  It is possible for us to be “carried away by the error of unprincipled men.”  These unprincipled people are failing significantly these days setting themselves up as arbitrators of their own rules.  It is possible to trip and fall away from our own steadfastness but God has promised a better way.  A way of grace and knowledge of our Lord Savior Jesus Christ.  Let’s seek that way today.

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July 10 – Guarding Heart and Mind

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:7 (ESV)

This promise is for believers who in prayer present their requests to God about things which would otherwise cause anxiety, worry, and distress. The promise is that God will respond by granting His peace.  This verse tells us how God  helps us deal with problems in our lives.  So we take them to God in prayer making our requests and giving our thanksgiving.  In return we receive peace.  It is a peace that we may not understand and others may not comprehend.  It is the Peace of God and it guards our hearts and our minds against worry and distress.  It guards us against giving up when we think circumstances are too great for us to bear – we just want out.  But God give us His peace and that settles our minds and our hearts as we believe His promise.  We pray about it.  We verbalize our requests. We present them to God with thanksgiving. He gives us a peace beyond comprehension but it is real, it's His Peace. 

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May 5 – Protected in All Things

“The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade on your right hand.” Psalm 101:5 (NASB)
“The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever.”   Psalm 101:5,8 (NASB)

Consider today that we have someone who is involved and active in our lives all the time and He holds our best interests and safety as a primary importance.  We realize that our God is Almighty and the One who created this world. He is the one who also has given life to each of us.  We who live here in this world can count on him to be our keeper.  He is watching over everything which He created and also over every one of His creatures including every one of us today wherever we are.  Not only does God watch over every one of us, He also is aware of the needs of each one of us.  God is our guard when  we go out about our daily activities and duties.  He is our guard when we are coming in from a day's work.  And, according to these verses today, this is for eternity, from this time forth and forever.  So let's remember today's promises.  The Lord is watching over us and keeping us.  The Lord is protecting us from whatever may damage or hurt us.  He is our security and our refuge.  

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November 21 – Peace from Thanksgiving

“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 comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:6-7 (NASB)

We have a verse today that is likely very well known.  Most times it is used to teach us the value of not being anxious, or to not worry about anything.  This is not something that is done with ease and it takes a great amount of practice.  God provides the opportunities for us to practice by allowing challenging and difficult times to come into our lives.  Today we are looking at another part of the verse.  This part tells us what we can do to defeat being anxious and to replace the worry – by being thankful in all things when we pray and request help from God.  Being thankful for the opportunity to trust His promises, especially when we are struggling with worry and anxiety.  Thankfulness to God is a powerful and wonderful method of receiving help when we ask for it.  And the promise we have is this – the peace of God becomes the guard of our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  It is beyond all our ability to comprehend just how God's peace becomes our guard, but it is promised to us by God and it comes after we have prayed with thanksgiving for all He has done and will do.  

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September 15 – Peace to Guard Us

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

Our selected verse today may be very familiar to many who follow this blog.  Even so, each time we read it and consider what it says we are confronted with the promise it brings to us.  The promise here is in one word – a verb – which we want to focus on today.  It's the verb “guard.”  When we bring our concerns to the Lord with an attitude of thanksgiving instead of worry or anxiety, we are promised the peace of God to guard our hearts and our minds.  What is the guard for? Isn't it to keep anxious worrisome things out of our hearts and minds?  Yes, these undesirable things don't belong and God promises to give us His peace to guard against them entering our mind and heart.  This peace removes the anxious feelings and thoughts which are not desirable from our lives when we bring our concerns to God in prayer with thanksgiving.  That is a promise we can trust and be thankful for.

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March 31 - Holy Saturday, Sunday Is Coming

“So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.” Matthew 27:66 (NIV)

We have been considering how Jesus approached His death on the cross and how He died. Now, let us consider what happened after He died and after He was buried by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus in a new tomb. His burial was quickly done on the same evening that Jesus died. What happened on Saturday? We are told that some of the women who had followed Jesus watched the burial that Friday evening, prepared spices and perfumes to anoint His body. But because Saturday was the Sabbath, the women decided to wait one more day. The interesting thing is that although the friends and disciples of Jesus were inactive on Saturday, some of his enemies were not. Matthew records how the enemies of Jesus remembered what he had said about rising again. They went on Saturday to request a special guard at the tomb where Jesus was buried. Today's verse describes what resulted from their request. Jesus had promised to rise again and nothing that his enemies did would stop what God would be doing on Sunday morning.   

June 20 – Guarding You In All Your Ways

“If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;”  Psalm 91:9-11 (NIV)

We've hear often about promises of guardian angels. We believe that they are watching over us although we can't see them. As we read this promise today, we are reminded who it is that gets this special protection. Notice that it is those who make the Lord, the Most High, their dwelling place and profess Him as their refuge. How do we dwell in the Most High? We do so by faith. We do so by believing the promises God has given to us. So let's remember that we live, or dwell in our Lord when we trust Him at all times – not just once in a while.  We learn to trust not only when things are tough but even when they are not so tough. Living in God is a constant that comes through a constant faith. 

July 16

“But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.” Nehemiah 4:9 (NIV)
“When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work.” Nehemiah 4:15 (NIV)

After their long exile in Babylon Go brought the Jews back to their homeland. But the city wall was in ruins. As God’s people began to rebuild the broken walls of Jerusalem, their enemies did not like that and plotted to attack them, and the people prayed. Then we read about the results of those prayers. We noticed that the people did two things. The prayed to God and they posted a guard. But we notice that they gave God all the credit for the results. They didn’t brag about their guard. They said it was God who frustrated the enemy. Let us remember to thank God when He helps us.

March 11

“Sing about a fruitful vineyard: I, the Lord, watch over it; I water it continually. I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it.” Isaiah 27:2-3 (NIV)

The Bible reminds us over and over about how concerned God is about His people. When the Lord made this statement, He was speaking especially about His chosen people Israel. He spoke of them as being His vineyard. God has His special people today, too, and if you have trusted in Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are His special possession. He’s taking care of you, watching over you, giving you what you need, and guarding you from harm as the owner of a vineyard would do. Apply this Scripture to yourself. This is how the Lord thinks of you.

January 10

“And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7

Did you notice that the verse begins with the word “and”? This is to connect with the previous verse. Verse 6 admonishes us to take our anxieties and worries to God. So then when we do that the peace of God comes to guard our hearts and minds. I’m impressed by the thought of God’s peace being a GUARD around us. What are guards for? They are stationed to protect valuable things from marauders, from thieves, for instance. Our hearts and minds need a guard because there are thoughts and feelings which want to disturb us. So God gives you His peace to keep such things away.