Young People's Group

The God of Peace Will Be With You

by Mitchell Tan
March 20, 2019

THANK GOD FOR FAMILY CAMP 2019

Family Camp 2019 will be ending soon. And we want to give thanks to the Lord for the many deep lessons that we have learnt from the Scriptures. It has been a wonderful time of learning about wells of living water and a time of meeting with the Lord at this camp. For those who could not make it for the camp, the messages are online on our Bethany website. Let’s take time to review all the lessons that we have learnt and to seek to practise them.

FINDING A GREAT SENSE OF PEACE

The apostle Paul had written to the Philippians about what it meant to cease from all anxieties.

1. PRAYING IN A RIGHT MANNER (PHILIPPIANS 4:6)

When the Philippians prayed in a right manner, the peace of God that passes all understanding would specially guard their heart and mind.

2. PONDERING THE RIGHT THOUGHTS (PHILIPPIANS 4:8)

Furthermore, they were to focus on the right things in order to sustain this sense of peace. Their mind and heart should be focused on all things that are true, noble and good.

3. PRACTISING THE RIGHT THINGS

“The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do”
Philippians 4:9

Paul went on to challenge them to also practise what they had been taught. The Philippians had been taught and schooled in Biblical truths and principles of life. They had heard them from Paul personally and readily welcomed them. These truths and principles were exemplified in his life and ministry. He had earlier challenged them to follow his example (Philippians 3:17). The word “do” in Greek means to “practise”. It has the idea of getting down to accomplishing what they needed to do. Obedience was what Paul was looking for. The Philippians were meant to submit and to obey the word taught and the Lord’s presence would bring a special sense of peace to them.

THE IDEAL CONCEPT OF HAVING PERFECT PEACE

“Open the gates,
That the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in.
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.”
Isaiah 26:2-3

The prophet Isaiah had prophesied about the ideal concept of having perfect peace in the Lord. In his song about the new Zion, the nations who obeyed the Lord’s word and were righteous before Him were allowed to enter the strong city. The Lord’s grace would be there to keep His people in perfect peace because their minds were stayed on the Lord. They trusted in the Lord as they related to Him. The Lord’s presence specially brought to them this perfect sense of peace.

HAVING THE GOD OF PEACE WITH US

“And the God of peace will be with you.”
Philippians 4:9

The Lord’s presence was something that the Philippians would be able to appreciate as they sought to do the Lord’s word. The God of peace would be with them as a sign of His approval. It would confirm that they were indeed keeping His word. There would be the blessing of His presence and His special peace with them. The challenge is for us is to get down to practising what we have learnt. And may the Lord’s presence be so much more real and special to us as we go through life!

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