About this worrying thing...

I heard a gentleman speak this morning about worry and how it is a sin because of how it takes the sovereignty of God out of the equation. He had some great illustrations, points, and stories but as I was reading along in my Bible something profound stood out to me. The way the bible is broken into chapter and verse must be realized as not the inspired Word of God. The Word is inspired and 100% accurate but sometimes the numbering seems a little off. Let me explain.

If you notice Philippians 4:5 it states, "Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand." By reading this alone, one can come to the conclusion that because the Lord is at hand, you need to make your gentleness be known but I believe the numbering system throws this scripture out of context. If verse 6 were to begin with the latter part of verse 5, see how things would make more sense, "The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything..." You see, this puts the issue of anxiety to rest because the Lord is at hand. Also, because He is at hand, you can make your requests known because He is so close.

We must remember that as children of God we have a relationship with God that is so close. We must remove anything that hinders the closeness of the relationship. When we pray and supplicate with thanksgiving, in the presence of God, how awesome is it to know that the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds.

His guarding is not from a distance or with corruptible things but with Jesus Christ the eternal, living Bread of Life. That peace of God that comes through praying and being near to God really cannot be fathomed. It's beyond explanation. The speaker from this morning did a great job expounding on this point. It's not that we haven't experienced it; it's that the experience is unexplainable.

Maybe this is the context to which Paul was writing in that through our prayers and being near to God reveals a gentleness do to peace. People who are anxious or worry tend to be very uptight creating tension, the opposite of gentleness.

By knowing the Lord is at hand, praying to Him with thanksgiving and knowing your hearts are guarded by Jesus Christ; your gentleness will be known to all men. Then may your works, done out of peace and love not guilt or worry, be seen by man and they glorify your Father in heaven.

The Lord is at Hand.