A Daily Devotion for Monday, July 5

Philippians 4: 4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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.

These words hold so much wisdom for me, and can lead to such good things. I forget them, though, and worry anyway. I have remembered, many times, to ask God for peace and for relief from my anxiety, and He is consistently generous. For me, the problem is that infrequent (but frequent enough) circumstance wherein my “worry” and preoccupation leads me to a solution. (Wasn’t that called ‘intermittent reinforcement’?) It is hard to give up worry. Most often, though, worry is about things we know we can’t control. We must look to God for peace.

Lord God, even now, this morning, I find myself worrying about one of my children, and the decisions he faces. I am not a part of those decisions, but you are. Be with him, Lord. And grant us both peace and calm in a complicated world. Amen

Becky, transforming