Philippians 4:6-10
 
Phil 4:6 (KJB)
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
 
Be careful - Be anxious or be concerned about
Supplication - Petition or request
 
If we are to know and experience the peace of God in our life, one thing we must do is not to be anxious about anything which may come into our lives. When adverse situations appear, then it is at that time we are to go into a time of prayer and bring our petitions before the Lord. We are also to include thanksgiving in those prayers because when we look back on all what the Lord has brought us through in the past, we will realize with thanksgiving how God had engineered circumstances in our life to bring us through. Once our requests are made known unto God, we can be confident that He takes those requests and handles them according to His will and His ways and we must always keep in mind that His ways are not our ways.
 
Phil 4:7 (KJB)
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
 
Passeth - Surpasses or excels
Understanding - Thoughts or attitudes
Keep - Guard
 
If these is one thing that baffles the world, and to some extent, Christians, it is the peace of God ruling in the hearts of His people. The peace of God can so keep a Christian in peace during turbulent times that it may look to the outsiders that we do not care. The peace of God is an instrument of protection for the true Believer. First of all, it surpasses or excels all understanding because how can one explain that a person can remain extremely calm in the midst of a raging storm. Second, the peace of God guards our hearts and minds, that is, it guards our emotions and our thinking process. If we allow our emotions to override our biblical understanding, it would cause us to follow a different path and emotionally based actions are normally reactions instead of properly planned actions. The peace of God protects our thoughts and keeps us thinking properly and not in a wild, out of sorts manner. Any of these wrong methods can lead a Christian astray and cause them to get into trouble on top of their rough situations. The reason the peace of God can control our emotions and thoughts, is because we transfer the situation and all our anxieties that accompany it to the Lord. This is not to say that we do not remain involved, it means we stay involved but the Lord takes the lead. It is when we take the lead that leads to trouble.
 
Phil 4:8 (KJB)
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.
 
True - (Alethê ) - Carries with it the meaning of “dependable, truthful, and genuine”
 
Honest - (semna) - Carries with it the idea of “being worthy of respect, dignified, holy or honorable” This word is the synonym of the word “hagios” which means holy or sanctified
 
Just - (dikaia) - Carries with it the idea of “righteous, right, impartial, or upright”
 
Pure - (hagna) - Carries with it the idea of “holy, chaste, pure from every fault and modest”
 
Lovely - (prosphile) - Carries with it the meaning of “acceptable, pleasing and agreeable” This is the only [place in the New Testament this word is used.
 
Good Report - (euphema) - Carries with it the meaning of “reputable or well-spoken of” This is the only place in the New Testament this word is used.
 
Virtue - (aretê ) - Carries with it the meaning of “moral excellence or perfection”
 
Praise - (epainos) - Carries with it the meaning of “commendation or recognition”
 
Think - Reckon, consider, or count
 
Christians must never continually dwell on the negative. When a long period of negative thinking rules a Christian, there can be very serious consequences. It is then we begin to lose the heavenly perspective and with that goes the peace of God in our life. If negative things rule, our circumstances live above us. When we let the peace of God rule, we live above our circumstances.
 
Phil 4:9 (KJB)
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.
 
Learned - Discovered, found out, or understand
Received - Received by hearing or taken alongside
Heard - Hearing with understanding
 
Another tenet of the peace of God is not just learning the things of Scripture, or receiving things from the hands of the Lord, and hearing with understanding both the preached and written word, and have seen the testimony of faithful Christians, in this case the Apostle Paul, is to do those things. What good would it do if a person goes to school and learns how to fix cars, then graduates, and never does it? It was a waste of time and effort on their part to attend the school. This is the principle Paul is trying to get across. It does no good just to learn the things of the Lord if we never plan on acting upon them in life. The way that the peace of God will abide on us will be if we become practical Christians and not couch potatoes. When we act on the things of the Lord, we are trusting in the ways of the Lord and acting upon them in faith. If we exercise no faith in God and God’s ways, then we are as one who is dead in our walk. Remember, in James 2, it reminds us that faith without works is dead and if we claim to be Christians but act like the world, then for all practical purposes we are also dead. The word “do” in this verse is in the Imperative mood which makes it a command. In other words, the true Christian life is one of action and not one of words only.
 
Phil 4:10 (KJB)
But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.
 
Hath flourished again - Bloom again, revived, or to thrive
Careful - Set your mind on or seek for
 
Here the Apostle Paul speaks of how much joy the Philippians have given him with the reception of a financial gift to help sustain his ministry while in prison. There may have been a hiatus in their giving owing to the fact that false teachers may have supplanted Paul’s ministry and he received nothing for quite a while. Now their ministry of giving has been revived. They had desired to send him a gift but maybe the opportunity was lacking, possibly caused by the false teachers who may have cast aspersions on Paul’s ministry. This verse gives a great principle. If our giving has been diverted for any reason, it is never too late to start again where we left off. This principle also applies to following a false teacher or teaching. If the Lord has shown us that we were in error holding a certain teaching and we see it, then it is never too late to return to the true teachings of Scripture. In other words, if we have been diverted, it need not be for the rest of our life.

Back