At Hand

Scripture Reading: 
​Philippians 4:4-13 
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! [5] Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. [6] Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. [7] And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. [8] Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. [9] The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. [10] But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. [11] Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. [12] I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. [13] I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. 

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Questions to Consider:

1. Is it difficult or easy for you to obey and apply Biblical wisdom to your life?  (Why or why not?)
2. What difference does "having the Lord at hand" make in your life?  (Are you aware of His continual presence?)
3. ​What is the worst decision that you ever made?  (We all make poor decisions at times; did we consult the Lord--probably not.  That is what we need to change)

Devotional Thoughts: In the midst of a passage that deals with prayer, Paul interjects this thought: "Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand (near)." I think that the word "gentleness" is somewhat misleading and does not effectively communicate the Author's point. In the RJV Bible (Ronald Joseph Version) which does not exist, it would read more like this: "May you have a great reputation, because of your even-tempered appropriate decision-making ability." "Ok, I know...it doesn't flow every well, but at least you get the point." Believers need to be known for their sound judgment. As if the Lord is at hand making said judgments!
      How much would I change in my decision-making process if God had a greater voice...no, make that, if God had the final say in all my decisions? How many problems would that solve? How many prayer requests would never have needed to exist in the first place? How much heart-burn and how many head-aches would have been avoided. Maybe it would be prudent to make my decisions as if "the Lord is at hand."
      I have observed that many of our prayer requests are a direct result of poor decisions. The Bible instructs us to stay out of debt. To avoid yoking ourselves unequally with sinners. To make an effort to pass down our faith to our children. To pay our taxes and submit to authorities. The instructions (command) to make appropriate decisions pours out of pages of the Bible. Why not obey the dictates of scripture? It will help us make wise decisions. It will help us avoid many a pit-fall. It will remove much of the worry and stress associated with life. Ultimately, you will be recognized as an even-tempered individual who makes great decisions.
Author's Note: Not many people are wise, but they could be.  Jesus stated that those who listened to His words and lived them were like the wise man who built his house on the rock.  At least in my life--I need to think less and obey more.  I need to acknowledge the Lord in all of my decisions--that is how, even I, can become a wise guy...make that, wise man.