Philippians 4:7

‘And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.'

This may well be intended to apply to all three exhortations. By continually rejoicing in the Lord and His nearness to them, by living rightly before the world, and by making their requests known to God with all prayer, supplication and thanksgiving, they could avoid anxiety and let the peace of God possess their lives. Take away one pillar and the situation might well be different.

‘The peace of God' is that peace which is in the heart of God. In God there is no anxiety or worry, for He is over all and all things are under His total control. So the thought is that His peace should become our peace as we rest content in the fact that He has full control and all things will finally work according to His will. That is why we can recognise that ‘all things work together for good to those who love God, even to those who are called according to His purpose' (Romans 8:28). Nothing can ultimately go wrong with God in charge.

This ‘peace which passes all understanding' is a special peace from God spread abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (compare the love in Romans 5:1). It is beyond this world's ability to comprehend, just as God is beyond the world's ability to comprehend. But it comes to those who rejoice in Him, who obey Him in all their ways, and who entrust to him their needs in genuine faith. They also do not fully understand, but they do know Him and that they are yoked together with Him, and they therefore do not need to understand. They can safely leave the worrying to God. All they have to do is walk beside Him and trust Him (as sheep trust their shepherd - John 10:27). As a result they will:

· Enjoy the peace of God Himself within them as they walk beside Him and with Him (2 Corinthians 6:16; 2 Corinthians 6:18).

· Have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ because the condemnation for their sins has been removed (Romans 5:1).

· Enjoy the ‘peace from God' with which He will flood their hearts as their confidence is fully in Him (Romans 1:7 and often).

This is seen as a peace which ‘stands guard' over their lives, so that nothing can throw them, guarding their hearts and minds, (their whole inner being of emotions, thoughts and will), ‘in Christ Jesus' (Who is their citadel in which they are safe) from all the attacks of the Enemy. And they know that they need not doubt in anything because, ‘if God be for us, who can be against us? He Who spared not His own Son but freely gave Him up for us all, how will He not with Him freely give us all things?' (Romans 8:31). Having been willing to give His Son He will not withhold anything.