Phil. 4
What a blessed reality to know that which the apostle speaks of in v. 7 of this chapter, namely, to have the peace of God which passeth every understanding keeping the heart and mind through Christ Jesus.
Now observe how we must be in spirit in the sphere of the peace, in order to have the heart and mind kept. Our poor hearts and minds could never keep the peace of God. The best illustration I know of the peace of God, is that magnificent declaration of Psa. 29:1010The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever. (Psalm 29:10): “The Lord sitteth upon the flood, yea the Lord sitteth king for ever.” It is striking too, that the word rendered “flood” is elsewhere applied only to the deluge of Noah. Thus above all the desolations of earth, in the serenity of His own majesty the Lord sits as King; and observe the verse that follows this, namely, “The Lord will bless His people with peace.” In a higher and fuller way the apostle tells us that the peace of God which passeth every understanding shall keep, as in a garrison, your hearts and minds, that is, the affections which the word heart refers to, and minds, the motive power of the man as we speak.
There is nothing so often disturbed as our minds, especially if activity characterize them, but if our God puts His own peace as a garrison to guard the heart and mind, all of quiet and rest is secured in the stronghold of that divine fortification. Thus alone can we enter into the deep meaning of how our strength is to sit still.
When we stood as it were on the shores of the Red Sea, with its waters as yet unopened before us, and dreaded the descent of the overflowing enemy behind us, the word was, “stand still and see.” Then we beheld as it were a divine transaction, for us no doubt, but in accomplishing which we had no part; now, as garrisoned by the peace of God we learn the blessedness of the word, “be still and know that I am God.”
Now in v. 12, the apostle gives himself as an example, “I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound: everywhere, and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” Thus he tells us how he had passed through all the circumstances: how often have I heard the remark: “You know nothing about it, for you are not in it.” Now it is well to remember, that one needs to be out of trial, as having passed through it, in order to sympathize with one in it, then it is that we can be witnesses to the grace, peace, and power which sustained us, and we can say, in some sense, poor though it be, I have found Him all I needed, far more, thank God, but this most blessedly. It is very interesting to see how the apostle was passed through all the exigencies of human life, so as to be in his own person the witness to the truth we have before us. One of the distinctive marks of Christianity is, the resource and power which belong to it, and these are brought to light by the straits and difficulties through which the people of God pass in the wilderness way. In another day when a sight of the land tested Israel, Joshua and Caleb could say, “The people of the land are bread for us.” Israel were in dread at the moment of being devoured by giants!
In v. 19 the apostle says, “My God.” Why does he not say, “Your God?” Was He not the God of the Philippians as much as of Paul? Assuredly He was. But he was speaking of God as he himself knew Him, or, as we might say, experimentally. the apostle had proved Him as His God. He says as it were, “I have been all the world over and He has never failed me.” “My God shall supply all your need.” I can not only count on Him for myself, but also for you. Neither your need nor mine can measure what is in Him. What is the measure?
“According to His riches in glory.” How blessed, how infinite! May our hearts and minds be thus kept in this divine fortification continuously.