Today Our Daily Bread Philippians 4

Philippians 4: 1 - 23
1 My dear, dear friends! I love you so much. I do want the very best for you. You make me feel such joy, fill me with such pride.
Who in your life fills you with this kind of joy? Who makes you come away from your self and your own needs and desires, and compels your service and actions of love? Who do you desire and pray the very best for? A good thing to think about. When we are leading others in the way of righteousness and living out examples to be displayed for others, it changes our life’s perspective, it brings the jot that is truly the joy of God’s heart. Having children both spiritually and naturally, puts us in this "forced to look at others" place. When we get there and stay there we find we cannot believe we were ever in any other place. The joy of our Father is in His children and in displaying His love in His children. When we are like Him, we are sensing that same joy.
Don't waver. Stay on track, steady in God. Why?
2 I urge Euodia and Syntyche to iron out their differences and make up. God doesn't want his children holding grudges. Why?
3 And, oh, yes, Syzygus, since you're right there to help them work things out, do your best with them. These women worked for the Message hand in hand with Clement and me, and with the other veterans - worked as hard as any of us. Remember, their names are also in the book of life. Why take time to help someone else out, especially in finding the way of peace in a relationship? Because God’s heart is all for relationship made right. He did all that could be done to make us right with Him and His Son. It is that important to His heart.
4 Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Why?
5 Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!
This part today is key for me on answering the "why’s". It did not say to Christians, it says let ALL know they are on your side. Prophecy into their lives by leading them to cross over to the side we’ve been led by others to cross over to. Why would we make peace with the world? Not its system, but its people? Why would we stand with one who is acting like their father- the devil, and compel them to be on our side- with God, by being willing to make peace and display love, no matter the circumstance? Because the circumstance is not the person, it is only a mark of where they are destined to be in eternity if a change is not made. They often reflect the actions of their father- the devil. They need us to show them the Father, as Jesus was here to do. He showed us what to do also. The personality even is not the eternal person. Let’s look around the personality and the circumstance and the apparent motives towards peace, giving them and helping them make peace with their Father and come on home. If we can make peace with them in a petty place of strife here, maybe we are displaying a glimmer of a picture of hope to them of the peace and hope God has awaiting them as they consider crossing over, changing "sides".
6 Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. 7 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. My prayer: " Christ Dis-place the worry in my life!" Put it in its place, below me, where you dwell with me in the heavenlies far above….
8 Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things
(such as these things, taking the PLACE of other things, rather than and instead of other things. The following thoughts are bridges to bring someone over from the other side)
true,
noble,
reputable,
authentic,
compelling,
gracious –
the best, not the worst;
the beautiful, not the ugly;
things to praise, not things to curse.
9 Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
This is our RECIPE for that Peace God gives, He provides it for us, it is available for our taking, we choose to take it or leave it.
10 I'm glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess - happy that you're again showing such strong concern for me. Not that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just had no chance to show it.
11 Actually, I don't have a sense of needing anything personally. I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. 12 I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty.
13 Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.
14 I don't mean that your help didn't mean a lot to me - it did. It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles. 15 You Philippians well know, and you can be sure I'll never forget it, that when I first left Macedonia province, venturing out with the Message, not one church helped out in the give-and-take of this work except you. You were the only one. 16 Even while I was in Thessalonica, you helped out - and not only once, but twice. 17 Not that I'm looking for handouts, but I do want you to experience the blessing that issues from generosity. 18 And now I have it all - and keep getting more! The gifts you sent with Epaphroditus were more than enough, like a sweet-smelling sacrifice roasting on the altar, filling the air with fragrance, pleasing God no end. 19 You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus.
20 Our God and Father abounds in glory that just pours out into eternity. Yes. 21 Give our regards to every Christian you meet. Our friends here say hello. 22 All the Christians here, especially the believers who work in the palace of Caesar, want to be remembered to you.
23 Receive and experience the amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, deep, deep within yourselves.
The Message