Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:6-9
Don’t Get Caught Up in the Calendar
Daily Devotion – November 24, 2023
Devotion based on Philippians 4:6-9
See series: Devotions
Well, here we are—the day after Thanksgiving! Maybe you’re extra full of food. Or you’re reminiscing about the days of midnight shopping on what sometimes appears to be the American holiday: Black Friday.
Maybe you’re looking ahead to Christmas. The alarm bells of anxiety are going off—probably more than you want them to.
You just looked at the calendar, and there’s no free time in the month until Christmas Eve.
You just looked at your bank account, and it is not what you hoped for heading into Christmas.
You see those beautiful scenes of family gatherings in holiday advertisements and movies, and this Thanksgiving once again proved that you don’t have that. And Christmas promises nothing better.
Your heart and mind are convinced, “I guess it’ll be another Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year that I’ll just try to make it through.”
Or not. Listen again to these promises in our Bible reading for today: “The God of peace will be with you.” And “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Through all of it—whatever happened yesterday and whatever comes between now and Christmas and beyond—the peace of God is guarding your heart, and he’s using Jesus to do it. Right now, you possess peace even amidst all these things; your heart is whole because the God of peace is with you.
Prayer:
God of peace, help me embrace the peace you promise. Give me the strength to offload my anxiety to you. I can’t carry it, but you promise you can, and you invite me to present my requests to you, in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving. Amen.
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