8-23-2016

Good Morning All!!          

             Philippians 4:6; “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

    Subterfuge, distraction, misdirection have always been a major part of any competition.  Whether something as simple as the “hidden ball” trick in baseball to a false attack in a war to keep an enemy off balance; misdirection has served the purpose.  It is the most important element in any magic show.  The magician will wave one hand with great flourish and fanfare all the while completing the trick with the other hand.  Any football worth his salt knows you have to run a play where the ball is carried in a counter direction every so often in order to keep the defense honest.  Any baserunner knows he has to see the baseball before he ever leaves the base.  Confusion, misdirection, subterfuge are just different methods used by your opponent to distract you from the truth and cause you to lose focus on reality.

    The devil loves misdirection and subterfuge.  The devil loves anything that causes confusion and clouds the truth.  This is part of what Paul is telling us here in our verse; do not be anxious.  The root Greek word used here means “more than an average concern through distraction”.  In other words, to be anxious is to be distracted.  When we get distracted and lose sight of the truth, that is when being anxious and worried start and in that confusion and distraction the devil peddles his lies.

    It is here where we see how Scriptures really ties altogether.  In the Book of Hebrews we read that we are to “fix our eyes upon Jesus” the word used here for fix means to stare intently, to be completely focused or one minded.  So when we lose that singular focus, we get distracted and the anxiety sets in. So how do we avoid the anxiety and keep our focus?  Paul tells us here that it is through prayer and supplication.  In Galatians Paul tells us to bear one another’s burdens.

    Putting these all together, we keep our focus when we stay in fellowship with God by being in the holy conversation of devotion and prayer.  Devotion is reading God’s Word which is how God speaks to us and then prayer is how we talk to God.  Also we want to stay in fellowship with our fellow Christians by bearing one another’s burdens.  We do this through praying for each other, offering words of encouragement and physical support where we can. 

    So Paul lays it out for us.  Don’t be anxious; keep focused on Jesus through prayer and devotion/worship.  By not being distracted from the truth of God’s love for you and the redemption that you receive; by staying focused upon Jesus; we will have the peace of God which passes all human understanding.

Father, keep me focused on your loving Word.  Keep me from being distracted by the world and the devil.  Send your Spirit to comfort me in all my worries.  Lead me to bring your comfort to my brothers and sisters who are in need.  Guard us with your mighty arm.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret