A Peace That the World Cannot Understand
Thank You, dear Lord
through faith in You we can find
peace that passes all understanding,
the mysterious peace of mind, of heart,
a place of rest and comfort,
nothing to do with the gifts
the world hands out.
In company with You, dear Lord
help us to learn to live freely, lightly,
our burdens taken by You,
replaced with contentment,
as You help our eyes of faith to see,
believing how all things are coming together for good,
happening within Your masterplan.
You dear Lord, plant the desire for peace
deep within, bring it to fruition.
Help us to take hold of You
and Your promises for us,
dear Spirit of peace,
do Your freeing work.
On Lord, this, Your peace
is of a quality, a substance that the world
does not know
does not understand.
Help us to find this, Your peace
in the small, the large, the medium
difficult happenings in our lives.
May we be Your Peacemakers
working together with You
showing others how to cooperate
instead of competing, fighting,
living in precious harmony
with each other,
with You as the centre of our existence.
Help us to forgive dear Lord
as it is Your way to make peace,
to find peace.
Help us to find our life in You,
our rest in You
where Your peace dwells
making our heart sing songs
of joy, gentleness, love.
Thank you dear Lord that Your peace
takes away fear
bringing the experience of Your love and grace
as we trust in You.
You have made our lives worth living
as we find peace and joy day by day
hearing Your whispers, Your sweet words
even with sorrows, duties surrounding
and the future all unknown.
Thank You for calling us to
Your perfect peace.
The Peace that Surpasses All Understanding -- Anthony Falbo
The "Epistle of Paul to the Philippians" was written by St. Paulus to the church at Philippi, the 1st Christian community in Europe. He wrote it from prison, though the date is uncertain. It may have been during his confinement in Ephesus, Caesarea, or Roma. If it was during his earlier Roman sojourn it would be odd that he did not mention St. Loukas, his own disciple who was imprisoned with him, especially since Philippi was Loukas' home church. His 2nd, much harsher, Roman imprisonment was at the end of his life, before his beheading by Nero, and the letter seems to be preoccupied with thoughts of death and critical disappointment of his contemporaries, and contains a developed ecclesiology. It was cowritten by another of his disciples, St. Timotheos, whom Paulus summoned for a last farewell. If composed during his last imprisonment it would represent his final thoughts on religion. "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 every thing 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. Finally, brethren, 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. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you."
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