(Phil. 4:7, 9, 12, 137And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)
9Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. (Philippians 4:9)
12I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. (Philippians 4:12‑13))
What an immense comfort it is to know that the word of God leads our souls on the one hand up to the most exalted thoughts of the revelation of God, on the other hand down to the commonest things a child of God has to pass through. We have a striking instance of it here; the close of chapter 3 sets before us most blessedly how that our body of humiliation shall be fashioned like unto the body of His glory. Then in the beginning of chapter 4 we see how the same grace can come down to the details of the pathway of two women, who were not walking evenly together! How blessed to see that there is no forgetfulness in grace of even the smallest thing, “Pray that your flight be not in the winter,” shows us that the thought of the weather was present to His gracious mind. The word then is, “Rejoice in the Lord,” and the fitting person to express this is a poor prisoner in Nero’s dungeon. This shows how entirely it is outside and beyond all around us here. Again observe it is “alway” as well as “in the Lord,” or perhaps it would be more true to say it is alway because it is in the Lord. Clearly then his song is “Rejoice in the Lord alway,” and it furnishes us with a blessed illustration of 2 Chron. 29:2727And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord began also with the trumpets, and with the instruments ordained by David king of Israel. (2 Chronicles 29:27), “And when the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord began.”
“Let your moderation be known unto all men.” This will be the proof to all, that our conversation is in the heavens; if we are seen to stick up for ourselves, it is the very opposite of yieldingness: this, along with subduedness and unresistingness is our true pathway through present scenes. This brings us to the “Peace of God which passeth every understanding.” What a blessed resource is this peace of God, and what a wonderful exchange for our cares! these it is our privilege to make known to Him, bringing all to Him and leaving all with Him. Alas! many try to keep the peace of God instead of its keeping them. Oh, that such of my readers may prove what a blessed sanctuary and retreat His peace brings us into.
But not only have we peace here, but also power; this flows from the occupation of the heart with good; what a mercy it is in a world of evil, that the heart may be free to find its delight and pleasure in what is good; we are not only living in a world of evil, but we have it in our own hearts, and must judge it where it is tolerated, yet to be ever occupied with it is a fruitful source of weakness. Even when we judge it, it defiles, it is soiling to the mind even as such. The real power is in taking delight in those things in which God delights, to be living now as with God in heaven, doing those things that please Him, and also being in that condition of mind in which He takes delight.
Here, then, is the true pathway of power, “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things . . . and the God of peace shall be with you.”
May our hearts more and more know what it is to go in the blessed company of “the God of peace” through a restless scene.
But then further, we have also here plenty as well as peace and power, and so the apostle says he had learned it, learned to find in Christ both competency and fullness, it was a real state for Paul; it is not here, as we say, an abstract proposition: if full, he has preserved from all self-satisfaction and self-elation; if hungry, he was preserved from despondency and dissatisfaction; for him Christ was all embraced all in Himself. May we know and enjoy more fully this blessed peace, power and plenty.