Survivor
“Like a man running a race, I try hard to reach the line so that I will receive the prize. Because we belong to Christ Jesus, God is calling us to receive this prize that he has for us in heaven. Philippians 3:14 (WE)
I heard a story about the first program of the television series “Survivor.” It was being filmed in Africa, and one native African had an astute comment as he watched the filming. He said, “Let me in the competition. I will win every time.” And he would have because he had the skills and wisdom needed to survive every test or race or contest the “Survivor” contestants had to endure.
I’m in a test like that, not a contest, but a test with just one right answer. The race consists of the way I live my life on earth. There is only one prize, and I am absolutely sure that I will get it. I know without a doubt that I will win the contest—pass the test—win the race.
I know that I will win not because I’ve been a churchgoer all of my life, and it’s not because I pray a lot. It’s not because I read the Bible daily, and it’s not because I give to the poor. It’s not because I treat my neighbor the way I want to be treated, and it’s not even because I know who Jesus is. These are all things that God expects from winners, but they are not the reasons we win.
Oh, I forgot to tell you, I won the prize the moment I started the race. As soon as the race started, I said, “Jesus, please forgive me for my sins. I receive you as my Lord and Savior.” From that moment on it has been a sealed deal. One other important thing to know is that everyone who runs the race is eligible to win the prize. It’s the only race where each runner decides whether he will win the prize or not. Run the race the way I did, and you will be declared the winner. The prize—eternity in heaven with Jesus. See you in the winners’ circle, or should I say heaven?
Patience
“The Lord is good to those who trust in him, to the one who seeks him. It is good to wait patiently for deliverance from the Lord.” Lamentations 3:25.26 (NET)
Patience has been a difficult thing for me to learn. God’s timeline is not always in synch with mine, and I often wonder when He is going to answer. I almost always think that He should answer before He actually does. He has never been late, but He has cut it close several times—at least according to my time schedule. In the verse above, we are told that “it is good to wait patiently for deliverance from the Lord.” I can’t argue with that because I believe in the inherent truth of the Bible. So I guess I’m not always “good,” but I think I can say confidently that I have a lot of company in being impatient with God. It is also “good” that God is a forgiving God. Psalm 103:8 says, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in live.” (NIV) I count on His compassion and grace very day. Lamentations 3:22,23 assures me, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (NIV)
Thank God that He is patient even when I am not. When the Word says, “It is good to wait patiently for deliverance…,” the implication is that deliverance is coming. We just have to wait patiently. Three times in Psalm 37, the Psalmist says “fret not,” or “do not fret,” and the rest of the chapter gives us many good reasons why we should not fret.
What can I do when I lack patience? I can pray. God is right there hearing every word of our prayers, and He is ready, willing, and able to encourage us if we will take the time to listen for His voice, to wait for that feeling of peace that begins to rise in our souls. What else can I do when I am impatient? I can read His Word. It abounds with encouraging passages that inspire us to hold on. I can use Habakkuk’s words in Habakkuk 2:3; “But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!” (Living Prophecies) If this is a word of encouragement to Habakkuk during a time of turmoil in Judah, can it not be an encouragement for me? Psalm 34:9 tells us, “Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing.” (NIV)
So the truth to be learned is, “Fret not,” or “ Be patient,” or “Trust me.” I have to work on patience, but with God’s help I will become a patient man while waiting for God, for His mercies are new each morning.
Peace
“Finally, my brothers and sisters, always think about what is true. Think about what is noble, right and pure. Think about what is lovely and worthy of respect. If anything is excellent or worthy of praise, think about those kinds of things. Do what you have learned or received or heard from me. Follow my example. The God who gives peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8,9 (NIRV)
That’s quite a list of things to think about. When my thoughts are centered on those things, my day just has to go well. Thinking on those things doesn’t leave room for depressing or worrisome thoughts. The last part of the verse tells us to follow Paul’s example, and then we will receive peace from God. Part of following Paul’s example must be to think of the things he has listed in the previous verse, so let’s think on those things.
Think about what is true. The greatest truth we have is that Jesus is Lord, that is, if we have accepted Him as Savior. Those who have not accepted Jesus as Savior cannot claim Him as Lord to their detriment.
Think about what is noble. The apostles demonstrated great nobility by standing up to the Jewish leaders and their Roman rulers. They defied their demands to stop speaking of Jesus, and all but John were put to death for their refusal to deny Jesus as the Son of God.
Think about what is right. It is right to love our fellow man and to show preference to him in our dealings. It is right to help those in need, physically, mentally, or spiritually.
Think about what is pure. There is nothing more pure in nature than mountain spring water. A cool drink from a mountain stream or spring while on a hike is most refreshing.
Think about what is lovely. To my heart, there is nothing lovelier than a mother with her young baby. I know that some of my memories of loveliness involve my wife holding one of our babies.
Think about what is worthy of respect. Those who have devoted their lives to studying the Word of God, growing close to Him, and who then import what they have learned in study and prayer to His people are certainly worthy of respect.
Think about what is excellent. Gospel groups who sing of our Lord in striking harmony exhibit excellence to my ear.
Think about what is praiseworthy. Our Lord and His sacrifice on our behalf is the most praiseworthy thing I know.
I encourage you to develop your own list of what things you think of as examples of what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, worthy of respect, excellent, and praiseworthy.
Peace
“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 4:8,9 (NIV)
I wrote about peace and my need for it in the last post, and this post continues that discussion. In verse seven, just before the above quote, Paul speaks of the peace of God, and its presence and help in our lives. So now, two verses later, in verse nine, he again speaks of God and His peace. Only this time it is “God of peace,” and previously it was the “peace of God. They both sound good to me.
We are usually reminded of this passage because of the things we are told to think about—true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy things , but these two verses end with “And the God of peace will be with you.” For me, that moves the emphasis from the things we are to think about to the presence of the God of peace. Paul tells us that if we think on these awesome things, our minds will have no room for negative thoughts, nor worries, nor anxieties because the God of peace will be with us.
As was my search in my previous posting, I am looking for peace, and here I have been told that the God of peace will be with me. What a great combination we have in these few verses, Philippians 4:4-9, the “peace of God” and the “God of peace.” So, be still my soul, when you have need to get rid of worry and anxiety, read these six verses and be blessed by God and His peace.
When I think of these verses and back them up with John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (NIV), I am greatly buoyed up. So I can say to my mind and to my heart, “You have the peace of God from the God of peace, and you have been given peace directly from Jesus. Now, FRET NOT!”
Peace
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 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. Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV)
I have been dealing with a problem that has persisted for close to a year, and it has caused me much anxiety. I know Psalm 27 tells us several times to “fret not,” but I’ve had difficulty doing that. Paul’s words to the Philippians (quoted above) were more able to bring me peace. There is no evil person behind my difficulty; it is a misunderstanding that was supposed to have been resolved several times during the past year, but just when I thought it was handled, it popped up again. This has happened month after month, and it has been weighing on my mind. Because I have prayed about it but, it hasn’t yet been resolved, my tendency is to believe that my faith is not strong enough to conquer this problem. God has told me that He is taking care of it, but every time it pops up, I think it’s because I haven’t believed strongly enough. So, I’m in a spiral, but I think these words from Paul will help me.
If I follow what Paul says, I will have the peace of God, not just the peace of man. If I will rejoice always, that will get my mind off the problem. If I will show my gentleness, it will be returned to me, if from no one else, it will be returned to me by God. Now the hard part for me, “Do not be anxious about anything.” But I think if I will follow all of Paul’s other instructions, the anxiousness will be washed away. When I present my problem to God in prayer WITH THANKSGIVING, the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus. Peace from God will be mine not only in my heart, but also in my mind. And His peace “transcends all understanding.” I don’t have to understand where the peace comes from, and I don’t have to understand why I have His peace. It’s just mine, and it came from God! “Problem, quit bothering me! I’m rejoicing in the peace of God!”
