Revel in God

Good Morning All,

Lately I have been in the presence of or in deep conversation with a lot of people in pain. Pain as well as suffering comes to each of us, some more than others for reasons we can’t quite understand. And when pain or suffering enters our lives, there’s usually at least one person who wants to fix it all for us; even before we want to do so. That well-meaning, well-intentioned person enters our lives and begins telling us how everything’s gonna be all right. “God doesn’t give us more than we can handle…” “Don’t worry, be happy… “ “All you have to do is trust God...” And upon hearing all this, all you want to do is scream and run for the nearest door!

And while any and all of the above might eventually bring us some sort of comfort, timing is everything. In the midst of whatever we are facing, we don’t want to hear words of comfort. First off, we need to name our pain; address our pain; maybe even wallow around in it for a little while, before we can even begin to be ready to hear any words of comfort; or sense the love and support of those closest to us; or begin to find peace in God’s presence or trust God’s lead.

But when the time is right, how good it is to reflect on a particular passage of scripture found in
Philippians 4:4-7: “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.”

Or as Eugene Peterson translates, “Celebrate God all day, every day, I mean, revel in God…Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life…Receive and experience the amazing grace of Jesus Christ, deep, deep, within yourself.”

Wow! Isn’t that something?

Did you catch the differences in translation?
"Rejoice" or "Celebrate God all day every day--revel in God!" says the other;

"Do not worry about anything...let your requests be made known to God."
Or..."Instead of worrying, pray...letting God know your concerns..."

And the not so subtle difference between:
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." and...
"Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down."

How wonderful it is that "the peace which passes all understanding," does not pass beyond our experience. In other words, God's peace in Christ Jesus may be far beyond our imaginations--far beyond our comprehension; but it never goes beyond our experience. We do not have to understand the peace of Christ in order to experience it. It truly is enough just to experience it. And it's more than enough to have that "sense of God's wholeness" coming into our lives, pitching a tent among us and settling us down, especially when we need that the most!

May you be open to hearing these amazing words just when you need them the most. Drink from their wisdom and power. Allow God to break through all that holds you captive. And may you experience a sense of God's wholeness deep, deep within you...Blessings, Joanne