Monday, March 16, 2015

a calm assurance


The song Be Still My Soul on Amy Grant’s Legacy album played on “repeat” while my Mom was in palliative care prior to her homegoing. It begins with a melancholy guitar solo called Fields of Plenty, and culminates with a voice-over poem by Amy. My heart was so captured by it I wrote every word in the Bible I had with me. Even listening to it now brings back the flood of warm feelings of peace I experienced during those days, knowing that Jesus was with me in my Mom's room, gently carrying her home . . .

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side;
bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
leave to thy God to order and provide;
in every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
to guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
all now mysterious will be bright at last.

Delight yourselves in the Lord, yes, and find your joy in Him.
Be known for your gentleness and never forget the nearness of our God.
Don’t worry, whatever is going to come, just tell God every detail,
and the peace of God that no one understands will come to you.
No, don’t worry, just tell Him every detail and His peace will come to you.



These beautiful words draw my heart to one of my favorite Scriptures:


Philippians 4:6-7
Amplified: Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.


Barclay: Do not worry about anything; but in everything with prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all human thought, will stand sentinel over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.


Lightfoot: Entertain no anxious cares, but throw them all upon God. By your prayer and your supplication make your every want known to him. If you do this, then the peace of God, far more effective than any forethought or contrivance of man, will keep watch over your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.


NLT: Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.


Phillips: Don't worry over anything whatever; tell God every detail of your needs in earnest and thankful prayer, and the peace of God which transcends human understanding, will keep constant guard over your hearts and minds as they rest in Christ Jesus.


Weymouth: Do not be over-anxious about anything, but by prayer and earnest pleading, together with thanksgiving, let your request be unreservedly made known in the presence of God. And then the peace of God, which transcends all our powers of thought, will be a garrison to guard your hearts and minds in union with Christ Jesus.


Wuest: Stop perpetually worrying about even one thing, but in everything by prayer whose essence is that of worship and devotion and by supplication which is a cry for your personal needs, with thanksgiving let your requests for the things asked for be made known in the presence of God, and the peace of God which surpasses all power of comprehension shall mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.


Young's Literal: for nothing be anxious, but in everything by prayer, and by supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God; and the peace of God, that is surpassing all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

The Message: Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

TLB: Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.


ESV: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Peace is the calm assurance that Jesus knows what He’s doing.

Peace is the calm assurance that Jesus knows what He’s doing. It is not related to our environment or circumstances. Peace is a gift, something Jesus gives. Through thankful, fervent prayer—articulating our burdens to Jesus—we exchange anxiety for peace. We seize His promises and assurances. The peace of God is powerfully vigilant, for it literally guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. We can imagine this peace as a fortress encircling us. It protects our mental, emotional, and spiritual health; our stability; our steadfastness; our confidence in God. As we pray, we experience His peace, the walls grow taller and stronger, protecting us more and more. Peace guards our hearts, we live behind the safe protection of our fortress of peace. No matter what, ruling our hearts is the calm assurance that Jesus knows what He’s doing.


Heavenly Father, God of peace, teach me the path of peace. Teach me to pray with thanksgiving, to submit my requests and needs to You—and to leave them there. Forgive me for trying to carry my burdens on my own. You don’t want me to live in the clutches of anxiety; You want me to live freely, guarded by Your peace. Please flood and guard my heart with peace. Remind me, Father, that peace is not the absence of problems in my life but the calm assurance that You know what You’re doing. You have never failed me, and You will never leave me or forsake me—my confidence is in You. In the name of Your Son, Jesus, the Prince of Peace, amen.

Look Up—meditate on Philippians 4:6-7… pray to see what it reveals about the character of God.


Look In—as you meditate on Philippians 4:6-7  … pray to see how you might apply it to your life. Be propelled to ask galvanizing questions about your discoveries: "Because God is_________, I will_____________."


Look Out—as you meditate on Philippians 4:6-7 …pray to see how you might apply it to your relationships with others. Let the nature of God impact on every relationship, for your good, and for His glory.

* If you liked this post, you’ll love this book – Name Above All Names Devotional: Focusing on 26 Alphabetical Names of Christ


58 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for sharing all the different versions of Philippians 4:6-7.

    I was especially convicted by the Lightfoot version which stated, "If you do this, then the peace of God, far more effective than any forethought or contrivance of man, will keep watch over your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus." All my fretting truly is a contrivance. I'm robbing myself of the peace I can feel by praying rather than fretting. I don't know why this is such a difficult lesson to learn.

    Thank you for sharing and spurring me on to take everything to the Lord in prayer. :-)

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    1. Thank you, Karen, you've blessed me with your encouraging comments ❤️

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  2. Amen! Lord Guard my heart with your peace.
    God Bless Beth

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    1. Thank you so much for taking time to stop by and leave a comment. Many blessings to you ❤️

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  3. Love reading different translations - brings such fullness to a verse. Love "stop perpetually worrying" because that's what we seem to do - worry perpetually, even when we try to stop. Beautiful post today.

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  4. Peace is the calm assurance that Jesus knows what He's doing! Amen! Your story mirrors my own in some ways. I was blessed to have God walking me through each step of my mom's very short journey home. Thank you for these words as I still work on the earthly struggle of missing my mom one year later. Blessings!

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    1. Mary, I'm so sorry about the loss of your Mom...many blessings to you ❤️

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    2. I am blessed that you shared this post at The Weekend Brew. I love it!

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  5. Beth, this was such a beautifully powerful post and it truly brought great joy and peace to my heart this morning. I so thank you for sharing this! Infinite blessings to you, Love! :-)

    #RaRaLinkup ;-)

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  6. I love reading multiple translations of scripture! Thanks for sharing this. He really does us give us peace when we give it all to him <3
    Visiting from RaRa Linkup!

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  7. Thank you for this simple, clear reminder of God's deep peace. Thanks for joining the #SmallWonder community.

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  8. Philippians 4 is one of my favorite passages, Beth. That you have spelled it out in all these versions is a beautiful gift to take with us today. Thank you so much for taking the time to share God's Word in all its powerful beauty.

    It's good to visit with you again, friend ...

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    1. Linda, I so appreciate your encouragement, many blessings to you ❤️

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  9. I love the song and the passages from Phillipians 4. Thank you so much for this very much needed to reminder. I have been reminded that I needed to find my peace and strength in Christ alone. I hope you have a lovely day!

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  10. This is beautiful, Beth! And seriously -I just prayed that prayer and felt so much peace! I have been trying to finalize some plans this afternoon, battling a headache and indecision and instead of just pushing through, I am leaving it in His hands and taking a break! He is able to lead me in peace and so I will wait for that!

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    1. Karrilee, your sweet words have touched my heart ❤️ It is such a blessing to know that what our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has used to encourage me helps others. Thank you so much for letting me know!

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  11. There is nothing like His peace. Where would we be without it? Thanks for the reminder today, Beth!

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  12. Those verses from Philippians are my very favorite. Love this post with all the different translations of that promise and truth. Thanks for linking up at #ThreeWordWednesday.

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  13. I am a worrier. I pray and attempt to let it all go. It is becoming easier, the more that I see that He is always there when no one else is. That He stays, that He loves, that He forgives. That He is constant. And that no matter what happens, worrying never solves anything, and that He is always there to help me pick up the pieces. Thank you for putting this out there. Reinforcement is always appreciated.

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    1. Nikki, I so appreciate your open, honest, transparent comments...I so agree with you...many blessings to you ❤️

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  14. Beth, firstly, I love the photo. I was mesmerized by it at first. Those two deer so alert and yet not all that pass by them far enough away might not even notice them.
    You bring so many versions of the Bible that I have never heard of, but the various translations make a verse come alive in ways I had not envisioned before. I like to do this as well but not with these different versions.
    The Barclay: ..will stand sentinel over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
    Stand sentinel...that speaks volumes to me. He is strong and will be there for me, no matter.
    Caring through Christ, ~ linda

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    1. Thank you, Linda, your comments are always so insightful...I so agree with you ❤️

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  15. The photo has mesmerized me, Beth. Just as the deer stand so still and alert, I wonder if another animal or a person has caught their attention for precaution yet they might not even know there two are there. The fog wraps them up. I love it.
    You share versions of the Bible that I do not know. It is always so interesting to read other versions of the same verse. Barclays..."will stand sentinel over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." really touches me this day. Jesus is our Sentinel...strong and secure.
    Visiting from Kristin's and glad I did.
    Caring through Christ, ~ linda

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    1. Thank you, Linda...I love fog...I always think of the Favor Of God...F.O.G. The two deer seem to sense the presence of God. Many blessings to you ❤️

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  16. Some of my favorite verses and ones I need to hear often. I love seeing how different versions interpret Scripture!

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  17. Beth, beautiful verses and love you sharing all the different translations. I never know which one is going to motivate me in my faith! Visiting from #livefree - have a great day, Kim Stewart
    www.kimstewartinspired.com

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  18. Beth, beautiful verses and love you sharing all the different translations. I never know which one is going to motivate me in my faith! Visiting from #livefree - have a great day, Kim Stewart
    www.kimstewartinspired.com

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  19. Thanks for joining us in #livefreeThursday. What a beautiful way to offer peace and calm with the power of God's Word.

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  20. Thank you for sharing these beautiful verses with us at Good Morning Mondays and for the reminder to rest in God and let him have control. Blessings

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  21. Thank you for sharing these beautiful verses with us at Good Morning Mondays and for the reminder to rest in God and let him have control. Blessings

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    1. Terri, I'm so glad you stopped by, many blessings to you ❤️,

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  22. How assuring indeed. We need this thought for the weekend.

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  23. Stopping in from Grace & Truth. Seems we were on the same page with our posts....peace in the midst of trouble. I need to find that Amy Grant CD. Thank you.

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    1. Amen, Leah, peace is a Person, Jesus Christ, many blessings to you ❤️

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  24. Hi Beth, thank you for your beautiful encouragement. Visiting from #livefree and #faithfilledfriday! Kim Stewart
    www.kimstewartinspired.com

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  25. I recently bought myself Lisa Leonard's necklace - It is Well With My Soul. I where it as a reminder that no matter what is going on in my life I can trust and reject worry. Thanks for sharing this beautiful reminder at the Blessing Counters Link Party. God bless you Beth!

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    1. Deb, I love the hymn "It Is Well With My Soul" as well as the heart-breaking story of how it came to be written...many blessings to you ❤️

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  26. I love Be Still My Soul, even though I haven't heard Amy Grant sing it. I'll look it up. It was thrilling to read the Philippians verses in the different translations. I loved the "shape your worries into prayers."

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    1. I so agree with you, Pamela, especially the phrase you shared!

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  27. Beautiful encouragement here, Beth. I loved also the images of the deer- it's what made me pop over. But I also love different versions which open the word up like a diamond shining from so many facets.

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    1. Love that, Dawn, how different Translations are like a diamond shining from so many facets...l so Agee with you ❤️

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  28. The peace of God that no one understands...I love that. I've always just rattled off, "surpasses understanding," but the fact that no one understands...it makes me think especially of unbelievers...people look at you and see peace and they just don't get it. I love the different translations you used. Sometimes I can spend hours on different translations and end up doing a whole study on one word! Your neighbor at Sunday Stillness

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    1. Mary, thank you for taking time to leave such a thoughtful comment...I so agree with you about that phrase...many blessings to you ❤️

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  29. I've enjoyed reading the passages and translations--you really help me enjoy the passage you're presenting!

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    1. Thank you, Amy, I recently learned that Amazon announced this was the most frequently highlighted verse in the Bible...amazing ❤️

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