“Rejoice in the Lord always (and) again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord (is) at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
“Rejoice in (the) Lord always: again I will say, Rejoice! Let your yieldingness (or, gentleness) be-known unto-all men. The Lord (is) near. Beanxious-about nothing; but in everything, by-your prayer and by-your supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be-made-known unto God, then the peace of-God, the (peace) surpassing every mind (of man), shall-keep-guard-over your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.”
Our last meditation ended with thoughts of the Book of Life, and we noticed that our Lord told His disciples to rejoice (not that the devils were subject to them, but) that their names were written in heaven. This seems to link our last meditation with the Scripture before us now. Luke, who was so much with Paul, tells us this saying of our Lord, and it is very probable that he told it also to Paul: “Rejoice.... your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:2020Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. (Luke 10:20)). Paul responds: your “names are in the Book of Life, rejoice!” What an excellent reason, and what a sure ground, for joy! How many would give all they possess to know for certain that their names are in the Book of Life. And we may know this for certain: each one of us may know this: “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life” (1 John 5:1313These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:13)). Well may we rejoice in the Lord alway!
Is it a new truth that the Apostle Paul teaches us, when he tells us to rejoice in the Lord? No, again and again do we hear these words in the Old Testament. Hannah could sing: “My heart rejoiceth in the Lord” (1 Sam. 2:11And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. (1 Samuel 2:1)). And on through the Psalms and the Prophets we hear this same refrain, over and over again.
It is in the Old Testament we read: “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh. 8:1010Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10)). And have we less reason to ‘rejoice in the Lord’ than the saints in Old Testament days? We who have seen the very image of the good things, and not the ‘shadows’ only? Some of you will have read an old book that begins by telling us of those who say: “You Christians seem to have a religion that makes you miserable. You are like a man with a headache. He does not want to get rid of his head, but it hurts him to keep it. You cannot expect outsiders to seek very earnestly for anything so uncomfortable.” Shame on us! Shame, that such a thing can be said: and, I grieve to say, said with some truth of those who should rejoice in the Lord alway: those who should be the happiest people in the world. But, perhaps, you say: “You do not know all the trouble and sorrow I have, or you would not expect me to rejoice.” They tell us that a better translation of our verse reads this way: “Rejoice in the Lord on all occasions.” And I suppose this takes in all our troubles and sorrows. Our beloved Lord was ‘The Man of Sorrows’, and yet He tells us of ‘My joy’. And His servant could write: “As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing” (2 Cor. 6:1010As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. (2 Corinthians 6:10)). The Scriptures are clear that our joy is one that is not affected by adversity: we rejoice always, on all occasions, in dark days, as well as bright:
“Although the fig tree shall not blossom,
Neither shall fruit be in the vines;
The labor of the olive shall fail,
And the fields shall yield no meat;
The flock shall be cut off from the fold,
And there shall be no herd in the stalls:
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
Jehovah, the Lord, is my strength,
And He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet,
And He will make me to walk upon mine high places.
To the Chief Singer on my stringed instruments.”
When first we were married, life was full of joy: `as well expect the soaring lark to keep silent, as expect the joyous saint not to sing God’s praise’, so there was not a day passed that we did not have singing in our little home: but the time came when the cares of this world crowded out the songs of Heaven, yet, I grieve to say, we hardly noticed it. For a wedding present a beloved friend had given us a beautiful canary in a brass cage, and its songs were a constant delight: but one day they stopped, and how we missed them: then our eyes were opened to the fact that our own songs had stopped also: and what was our shame, when our neighbors opposite remarked how they missed the singing they had grown to love.
It is told of Mr. Hyde of India that one day he was traveling to a distant village with a beloved Punjabi evangelist and his two little children. The men were speaking sadly about the village— how long the gospel had been preached there, and how little interest the people showed. The children had no such sad thoughts: they were so happy that they sang, and went on singing psalms and hymns one after another, till the two men were constrained to join in, and they were so carried away with the spirit of praise that they continued singing till they reached the village. Imagine their amazement when they found the people full of interest, and eager to confess Christ and follow Him, and over a dozen showed such a living faith, that they were baptized before they left. This was the first gospel triumph in that village, heralded and brought about by the spirit of praise from the children.
In another village they were so discouraged, they decided to leave early next morning, but that night someone suggested they should all go to the village and sing the gospel in it. This they did, and sang on and on, till after midnight. Next morning they were preparing to leave, when a young man came running from the village, to beg them not to go, for not one, he told them, had gone to work that morning, but were even then considering if they should not at once decide for Christ. They waited, and found some fifteen men, mostly heads of families, quite ready to be baptized. The young man who had brought the message said to Mr. Hyde, “This is the result of your singing last night. You sang—
‘Lift up your heads, O ye gates,
And let the King of Glory enter in!’
Has He not entered in this morning?”
Mr. Hyde used to say that when he noticed few souls being led to Christ he always found it was due to his lack of a spirit of praise. He would then confess his sin, ask pardon, and take the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. His experience then invariably was that Christ would again draw souls to Himself through him. No fisher can possibly throw his line lightly when he is dull and sad. It is the joyous one who generally wins souls to Christ.
We must remember that joy is the second of the fruit of the Spirit: “Love, joy, peace.” Also, joy is a legacy, like peace, that our Savior left us before He returned to Glory: “These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:1111These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. (John 15:11)). He was leaving them: but His joy would remain in them. And again, ponder our Lord’s most wondrous prayer: “And now come I to Thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have My joy fulfilled in themselves” (John 17:1313And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. (John 17:13)).
Let us not forget that it is “in the Lord” we are to rejoice. Some rejoice in their homes, in their families, in their wealth, in their learning: but such joys all fade: but when we rejoice in the Lord we have a joy that no man taketh from us. True, sin may rob us of it: and we may have to pray “Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation” (Psa. 51:1212Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. (Psalm 51:12)). (Not, you will note, “Restore unto me Thy salvation”!). But our Epistle does not touch on this subject: and neither shall we. It may be found in the first epistle of John. Our Epistle is too full of its theme of joy. Eleven times, I have counted “rejoice,” and five times “joy,” in this little Epistle, Here is the key-note of the normal Christian life.
But though Philippians does not suggest the loss of this priceless gift of joy: it does speak of those things that would rob us of it. The sad quarrel between Euodia and Syntyche had surely taken away their joy. Why could they not give in to each other? Now the Apostle writes:
The word translated “yieldingness” or “gentleness” is epieikeiaz, and is another of those Greek words almost impossible to translate. Recently there has been a very useful little book published, intended for missionaries: but good for us all: it is called, “Have We No Rights?” I fancy that the fair authoress of this little book had been having special lessons from the Lord Himself in epieikeia. One who has epieikeia will not insist on his rights, even though they truly are his rights: but he will yield. It has been translated “sweet-reasonableness.” But that only tells part.
It is one of the special characteristics of our beloved Lord Himself, combined with meekness. (2 Cor. 10:11Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: (2 Corinthians 10:1)). It is one of the characteristics of the wisdom that is from above (James 3:1717But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. (James 3:17)). An “overseer” should have epieikeia (1 Tim. 3:33Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; (1 Timothy 3:3)). And I gather from Titus 3:22To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men. (Titus 3:2), we all need it.
Epieikeia would do away with that hardness that we are apt to call faithfulness, for we can be faithful, without being hard. I think it was epieikeia made Boaz welcome Ruth: and what a reward he had. I think it was epieikeia let David eat the shewbread; and let our Lord heal on the Sabbath day. Peter needed a great deal of epieikeia to forgive his brother, not seven times, but seventy-times-seven. I suppose that epieikeia was exactly what Euodia and Syntyche needed: and I am inclined to think it is what most of us need very badly indeed. Another has said: “Justice is human, but epieikeia is divine” (W. Barclay). And we are to let our epieikeia— our yieldingness— our willingness-to-give-way, be known unto all men.
In the next verse we are told to let our requests be made known unto God. Here is one of those instances of the exquisite beauty of the Word of God. The Greek words for known, in these two verses (5 & 6) are different. In verse 5, “be known” tells of knowledge “by observation and experience.” My epieikeia is to be known to all men— not by going round and telling them about it, but because they observe how I act towards others; and they experience how I act towards themselves, and in this way we let our epieikeia be known. But our requests are made known unto God by telling Him our needs in prayer and supplication.
Then follows the statement that will give such a powerful motive to act on this exhortation: “The Lord (is) near.” This may mean (as far as the grammar goes) that the Lord is near to us: as He promised in Matt. 28 “Lo, I am with you alway,” and in Psa. 34:1818The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. (Psalm 34:18): “The Lord is nigh unto them that are broken of heart.” Or it may mean that the coming of the Lord is near, when we shall be forever with the Lord.
You recall the Apostle had just written, “Our citizenship is in heaven, from whence also we eagerly await the Savior.” There is a child near here whose mother is in hospital: as she waked this morning, she murmured: “I dreamed Mummie came home today!” That was Paul’s attitude: by day and by night, he was “eagerly awaiting” the Savior, the One he loved so dearly. “Maranatha,” “The Lord cometh,” (1 Thess. 5:22For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. (1 Thessalonians 5:2)) seems to have been a sort of watchword with the disciples of old. In James 5:77Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. (James 5:7) we read: “Be ye also patient.... for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh” (James 5:88Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. (James 5:8)). These are almost the same words as in our verse in Philippians, and here there is no question. So, personally, I have not a doubt that the Lord’s coming is the Apostle’s thought: but the Greek words may mean either, and both are true, so may we not appropriate both for ourselves? He is near us: and just how near that “shout” may be, who may say? “PERHAPS TODAY” is a motto we all might have on our walls. If we are momentarily expecting that call to meet our Lord in the air, we will not be troubling very much about our “rights” down here. How many quarrels would that end!
“The Lord is near. Be anxious about nothing; but in everything, by-your-prayer and by-your-supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known before God, then the peace of God, the (peace) surpassing every mind (of man), shall-keep-guard-over your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:77And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)).
We must repeat the words ‘the Lord is near’, for they are needed as a motive not to be anxious, just as much as they are needed for a motive not to stand up for our rights, but let our yieldingness be made known to all men. The word translated ‘be anxious’, just above, is translated ‘be careful’ in our beloved Authorized Version: and that would be a better translation, were it not that ‘be careful’ has come to have a different meaning. My wife used to worry a great deal about the meals, so I made her the text: “I would have you without carefulness”; and it always hung over our kitchen door. There was a Christian corporal who often visited us in Shanghai, and his place at table was just opposite the kitchen door. We used to see him gazing at this text, but thought nothing of it. One evening, with a voice of triumph, he remarked: “I understand it at last! I could not imagine why you had that text over the kitchen door, but now I know. You did not want the Amah (the Chinese woman who helped in the house) to be worried when she broke the dishes, so you told her she need not be careful.” I need hardly say, that was not the meaning.
If we could translate this verse: “Do not let your hearts be filled with care,” I think it would give the meaning better. The word translated ‘Be careful’ comes from the word for care as we see it in 1 Peter 5:77Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. (1 Peter 5:7): “Casting all your care upon Him,” or, “The care of this world” in Matt. 13:2222He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. (Matthew 13:22), that chokes the Word. God’s way to get rid of this care that so often saps our very life, is to cast it all on Him. In Heb. 10:3535Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. (Hebrews 10:35) we are told: “Cast not away therefore your confidence” (Heb. 10:3535Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. (Hebrews 10:35)). But, as another has put it, too often we ‘Cast away our confidence; But carry all our care.’
And the way to cast all our care upon Him, so that we are anxious for nothing, is told us in this lovely verse in Philippians: “In everything, by your prayer and by your supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.” Sometimes the load of care seems too heavy to cast it anywhere. Then the Lord invites us to “roll thy way upon the Lord” (Psa. 37:55Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. (Psalm 37:5): Margin). When we were children in Canada, in the winter, we would make great snowballs; and when they got too heavy to lift, we still could roll them. So roll that great load of care on Him, “because it is a matter of care to Him, concerning you,” as the Greek so sweetly puts it. And in the Greek Testament two different words are used here for care. The one is “anxious, harassing care”: the other is God’s loving “providential care” over us.
We are not to be anxious about “one thing,” as it is literally, but in “everything” we are to let our requests be made known unto God: and you do this “by your prayer and by your supplication with thanksgiving.” True, God knows all before we make them known: but He loves to have us come and tell Him. Actually it does not say “your prayer and your supplication,” but “the prayer and the supplication”. You may remember we have suggested that the Greek word “the” is like a finger pointing: and here we have two fingers, pointing to two different words. It is as though the Apostle was thinking: “by the prayer and by the supplication, which of course you will make.” You recall how sometimes only one article (the) is used with two words, to link them closely together. Here we see just the opposite, twice the article is used, where we cannot use it at all, to point out the two separate acts when we come to God with our anxious, harassing cares. So we have substituted your for the “the” that we cannot use. And let us remember “everything” means just what the word says: every single thing: the little things, as well as the big things: the things we are ashamed to bring to our Lord: in not one of these we are to be anxious: for every one is to be spread out before Him.
There are, I think, in the Greek New Testament (if we count “thanksgiving”) seven different words for prayer: and we have four of them in our present verse. The first, translated “prayer,” tells us of prayer in general— of any address to God. The second, “supplication” tells of prayer for particular needs or benefits. The first is only used of prayer to God: the second may also be used towards our fellowmen. These two words are found together again in Eph. 6:1818Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; (Ephesians 6:18) and 1 Tim. 2:1; 5:51I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; (1 Timothy 2:1)
5Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day. (1 Timothy 5:5). The first may include worship, as we come to God in prayer; whereas the second is definitely what we want from God. And, let us not forget, for Paul never forgot, that all is to be with “thanksgiving.” “Regarded as one manner of prayer, it (thanksgiving) expresses what ought never to be absent from any of our devotions (Phil. 4:66Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (Philippians 4:6); Eph. 5:2020Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; (Ephesians 5:20); 1 Thess. 5:18; 118In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
8So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. (1 Thessalonians 2:8) Tim. 2:1); namely, the grateful acknowledgment of past mercies, as distinguished from the earnest seeking of future. As such it may, and will, subsist in heaven (Rev. 4:9; 7:129And when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, (Revelation 4:9)
12Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 7:12)); will indeed be larger, deeper, fuller there than here: for only there will the redeemed know how much they owe to their Lord; and this it will do, while all other forms of prayer, in the very nature of things, will have ceased in the entire possession and present fruition of the things prayed for” (Trench: Synonyms, No. 51). And let us not forget, the Word commands: “In everything give thanks” (1 Thess. 5:1818In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)).
A bright example of obedience to this command happened years ago in Shanghai. A Christian sailor retired from the British navy, and settled in that city with his wife and little boy. He got a job with the Shanghai Municipal Council, but soon developed an incurable disease, which he knew must before long end his ability to provide for his little family. One month-end he brought home his pay, and turned it all over to his wife. That afternoon a kind friend sent over her carriage to bring the wife and child to have tea with her. On her return, the poor wife discovered that her purse, with the whole month’s wages was missing. She quickly walked back to her friend’s house, looking everywhere: but no trace could be found of the lost purse.
As her husband came in at the door that evening, she rushed to him, and sobbed out, “I’ve lost my purse, with all your month’s pay! Whatever shall we do?” The husband quietly replied, “The Scripture says in everything give thanks, so we’ll go into the sitting room and kneel down and thank the Lord.” “You may,” she replied, “but I can’t.” So the husband went in alone, and knelt and gave thanks. A few days later, the dear wife had learned this hard lesson, and came to her husband saying, “My dear, if you’ll come into the sitting room again, I’ll kneel with you and give thanks also.” And they did.
Need I add, the Lord did not forsake them, either then, or a little later when he was compelled to give up his work? And the peace of God kept guard over their hearts, even through that dark, sad time.
The fourth word is translated requests. It is also found in 1 John 5:1515And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. (1 John 5:15): “Whatsoever we request, we know that we have the requests which we have requested of Him.” In any prayer there may be a number of requests: for example, in what we call “The Lord’s Prayer,” (Dan. 9:33And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: (Daniel 9:3)) there are generally reckoned seven requests. And so we spread all our cares and needs, and mercies already granted, every one, out before the Lord, in all simplicity, as a tiny child to its Father.
And the result?
“Then the peace of God, the (peace) surpassing every mind (of man), shall-keep-guard-over your hearts (and your thoughts) in Christ Jesus.”
We must remember that there is a vast difference between the “peace of God,” and “peace with God.” Rom. 5:11Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Romans 5:1) tells us: “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God.” We were lost sinners, and enemies in our mind by wicked works: how could peace with God be made? If I believe on Christ and what He has done, then I can boldly say that for Christ’s sake, even my sins are forgiven: therefore I can add: “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:11Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Romans 5:1)). The value is not in the faith, but in our Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot get the blessing without believing, but it is an answer to the worth of Christ in God’s sight.
But beside this settled peace which we have through the work of Christ, there is “the peace of God, which has nothing to do with the forgiveness of our sins”: though that is in one sense the foundation of all our blessing: but this, “the peace of God,” (vs. 7) is peace amidst the circumstances through which we pass day by day: and it is a peace “surpassing every mind of man.” The Apostle was in prison, bound with a chain to a Roman soldier: yet he was filled with both joy and peace. And, as joy is the second, peace is the third fruit of the Spirit: and like joy it is a legacy left by our beloved Lord, before He returned to His Home in Glory: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you” (John 14:2727Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27)).
It is, in very truth, a peace that surpasses every mind of man: mind, notice, not knowledge: for “the peace of God” (vs. 7) lies in a higher sphere than intellect: a truth we do well to remember today.
This “peace of God” stands as a sacred sentinel to keep guard over our hearts and our thoughts. We may see the meaning of the word translated “keep guard” from 2 Cor. 11:3232In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: (2 Corinthians 11:32): “In Damascus the governor.... was guarding the city.... to take me.” This “sentinel” will guard from foes within and without. It will guard from those evil thoughts that so readily arise within, hated and unbidden: thoughts which, thank God, we are able with His help to bring into captivity to the obedience of Christ. (2 Cor. 10:55Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (2 Corinthians 10:5)). This peace guards also from all the filth of this age, that attacks both “eye-gate” and “ear-gate,” and can give us to pass through all undefiled. But let me not suppose that if I willingly open these gates to the enemy: willingly turn from my Bible to television, or the like, that I can expect my heavenly guard to fight for me then. But He is ever there ready to defend our hearts and thoughts: not only from the filth, but also from the cares of which we have just spoken. In Col. 3:1515And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. (Colossians 3:15) (New Translation) we read: “Let the peace of Christ preside (literally, ‘act as umpire’), or, direct, rule, control, in your hearts.” So we have the peace of God to guard, and the peace of Christ to rule, in our hearts. How safe we are, and what peace we have, if we will but let these heavenly guests have control!
And let us not forget that all is “in Christ Jesus” (vs. 7) (ch. 1:1). Christ Jesus is my rock and my fortress (Psa. 31:2-32Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me. 3For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me. (Psalm 31:2‑3)) within which the peace of God keeps guard over hearts and thoughts. So the picture is complete: we have the fortress and we have the garrison that guards it. Both are divine. What perfect safety, and what perfect peace, is there for every believer! In 1 Peter 1:55Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:5) we “are kept guarded by the power of God, through faith for salvation” (J.N.D.) “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee” (Isa. 26:33Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (Isaiah 26:3)). Therefore, my Beloved, “Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is the rock of ages” (Isa. 26:3-43Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. 4Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength: (Isaiah 26:3‑4); margin).
And before we leave this lovely passage of Scripture, let us notice how in verse 1, we have LOVE; in verse 4 we have JOY; and now in verse 7 we have PEACE— LOVE, JOY, PEACE: the first three of the nine fruit of the Spirit. May we know more and more of the infinite fullness of each one of these!
“Though vine nor fig tree neither
Their wonted fruit should bear:
Though all the field should wither,
Nor flocks nor herds be there:
Yet God the same abiding,
His praise shall tune my voice:
For while in Him confiding
I cannot but rejoice.”
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee.