The Peace Of God

SCRIPTURE

Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.

~Philippians 4:6b-7a, NLT

QUOTE

Peace is such a precious jewel that I would give anything for it but truth.

~Matthew Henry

While Jack Taylor was serving as pastor he had a female member to be diagnosed with terminal cancer. The woman was a widow of a few years but not that old. She did not take the bad news well. She became so embittered that no one could stand to be around her. Finally, her friends came to Dr. Taylor and told him the problem; he agreed to pay her a visit. He knocked on her door and she invited him in; for the next hour or so he listened as she poured out her complaints. When she ran out of steam, Dr. Taylor asked: “Have you given thanks to God?” She erupted with second diatribe….“Give thanks to God, are you crazy. Do you actually expect me to give thanks for cancer?” Dr. Taylor responded, “I did not ask you to thank Him for the cancer; the question is, have you thanked Him for all He has done in the midst of all you are suffering? The bible says, ‘In all things, give thanks’…it does not say, ‘for‘ all things give thanks. Don’t thank Him for the cancer but thank Him for what he has done for you.”

Suddenly she saw the truth that is expressed in today’s scripture…Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. Paul said, once a believer has done these two things, the peace of God that passes all understanding will become a reality. Don’t expect to receive His peace until you are willing to thank Him for what he has done. By the way, the woman in the above story died with cancer a few months later but she died in peace. She became an avid witness for Christ during the remainder of her life.

• Today we pray for the Holladay Family. We will give the teachers a day off.
• Kenny’s CELEBRATION OF LIFE SERVICE is a 1:00 pm. Visitation from 11:00-1:00. We are feeding the family after the service. Call Jennifer Garner or Mandy Bowling if you have questions.
• THE GATHERING Wednesday night at 6:30. Supper at 5:30 and AWANA at 6:15.
• GOLDEN GIRLS meet this Saturday at Cracker Barrel at 9:00 am.
• See how many you can identify out of the picture below?