Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus.The passage above from today's Lectionary is one of my favorites, one which I have committed to memory because I speak or call to mind the words so very often in times of stress and trouble. Sometimes, after I call the passage to mind, I think, 'It's easy for you to say, Paul,' but, in my heart of hearts, I know Paul's life was not easy, and he came to a tragic end because of his zeal for spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He spoke the words in faith despite the suffering he had already endured and his knowledge that more suffering would surely come his way.
Philippians 4:4-7
And I speak the words in faith that they may become a reality in my life.
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