Text: Philippians 4:6–20
Date: November 25, 2020
Event: Thanksgiving Eve, 2020
Philippians 4:6–20 (EHV)
Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if anything is excellent, and if anything is praiseworthy, think about these things. 9The things that you learned, received, heard, and saw in me: Keep doing these things. And the God of peace will be with you.
10I rejoice greatly in the Lord now that you have revived your concern for me once again. Actually, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11I am not saying this because I lack anything; in fact, I have learned to be content in any circumstances in which I find myself. 12I know what it is to live in humble circumstances, and I know what it is to have more than enough. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, while being full or hungry, while having plenty or not enough. 13I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. 14Nevertheless, you did well by becoming partners with me in my affliction.
15You Philippians know that in the beginning of your experience with the gospel, when I left Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you alone. 16Even while I was in Thessalonica, you sent help more than once for my needs. 17Not that I am seeking a gift, but I am seeking the fruit that adds to your account. 18I have been paid in full, and I have more than enough. I am fully supplied since I’ve received from Epaphroditus the things that came from you, a sweet-smelling fragrance, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. 19And my God will fully supply your every need, according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. 20Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever! Amen.
Not Worry and Fear, but Prayer and Thanksgiving
This is a Thanksgiving unlike any other I’ve ever experienced, and probably pretty different from any you’ve experienced too. Instead of trying to solve the problem of how to cram everyone around one table or wondering just how much food we might actually need to feed everyone coming, it’s going to be purposefully quiet and small with just our family gathered around the table. For the good of everyone’s health and well being among loved ones and in our broader community, we’re all probably making big changes for how we celebrate this national holiday this year. Even our Thanksgiving Eve worship here this evening is different, with most of everyone that would normally be here connecting in online.
These kinds of changes are, in the grand scheme of our life, probably pretty minor. But in the moment they can feel very burdensome. Every decision we need to be making right now is likely pitting a desire for normalcy against both public and private health. It’s emotionally draining to give up traditions we cherish and love for the good of those involved and those not even involved. And those draining decisions can easily lead to worry and fear, or even panic and despair.
Which makes this text from Paul’s letter to the Christians in the city of Philippi such a comforting section of God’s Word for us to meditate on for a few minutes in our evening prayer service tonight. Because no matter what storms are raging around us, Paul directs us to the one thing that brings us peace and calm—our Savior, Jesus.
Paul loved the Philippians dearly. They had repeatedly gone above and beyond what was necessary to support Paul in his ministry. He spent a good chunk of the first chapter of this brief letter thanking God for them and their fellowship in the gospel ministry. But things weren’t always cheery for the Philippians. They were going through persecution and hardships. Paul himself is writing this letter from house arrest in Rome, so even the apostles were not immune from these trials. Being a Christian in this environment would bring near-constants concern and worry for people’s livelihood and even life.
So what does Paul say? Hunker down and try your best? Be strong? Grit your teeth and bear it? No. Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, 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.
If you’ve connected in for our Wednesday evening Bible classes the last couple of weeks, we’ve spent a good deal of time talking about prayer—Jesus’ direction to be continually persistent and looking at the model prayer that Jesus taught that we’ve come to know as the Lord’s Prayer. One of the things we’ve spent some time considering is the role or placement of prayer in our lives: last line of defense or first go-to tool in time of trouble? Paul, and Jesus along with him, would urge us to make it not the last-ditch effort but the first thing we do. And it doesn’t just have to be life-altering issues either. Paul is clear, Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
It’s worth remembering how we have access to pray to God in the first place. Because it’s not our greatness or our persistence that makes that happen. Sin separates us from God. Isaiah is clear: Listen to me! The LORD’s arm is not too short to save, and his ear is not too deaf to hear. No, it is your guilt that has separated you from your God, and your sins have hidden God’s face from you, so that he does not hear. (Isaiah 59:1-2). That God would not listen to our prayers in unbelief is not a defect in God, but in us. Sin prevented him from hearing. It produced a chasm between us and God that we could not cross and that our words and requests could not overcome. Sin destroys prayer.
But Jesus has done away with sin! In him we have full and free forgiveness. He took the death our sins deserved on himself when he went to the cross. He died that we might be free from worry and fear. He died that we might live—the ultimate reason for thanksgiving now and every day of our lives! We will one day be freed from this world of worry and sin and sorrow and pain and be brought into the heavenly home that he has prepared for us!
So, if nothing else, this is how we bring our prayers to God with thanksgiving. Even if every last part of your life is horrible and wretched, even if nothing in your life feels worth rejoicing in or be grateful for, nothing can change the fact that your Savior loves you. Nothing can change the fact that your Savior lived, and died, and was raised for you. Nothing can change the fact that you are God’s dearly loved child, forgiven and adopted into his family through baptism. So even the heart weighed down with seemingly every grief can approach God’s throne with thanksgiving for forgiveness—the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding—which in itself gives you the ability to approach God in prayer at all.
Thanksgiving is also all about contentment. Paul spends a few words on this subject in our lesson for this evening. We do well to recognize that everything we have is from God, everything we have comes from his gracious providence. Our material possessions may not stack up compared to our neighbor. Our Thanksgiving meal may not be the setting we wished it would be and normally is. The world may strain and struggle to produce malcontent in our hearts through advertising or political frustrations. But we know the reality. We know that we need to actively fight to see the differences between needs and wants. We know that just because something is different doesn’t mean it’s bad. Just because we have less by someone’s measure, doesn’t mean we are somehow at a disadvantage.
We know that God gives us all that we need and so much more. Paul puts it well: My God will fully supply your every need, according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. What we need, God freely gives. That means our daily bread, that means our relationships, that means our work, that means our family, that means our material possessions, that means anything and everything he gives, especially the forgiveness of sins in Jesus. We had an actual need for release from the bonds of death and the eternal punishment of hell, and God met and continues to meet that need in Jesus’ life and death for us. His forgiveness is constant, complete, and free. Our contentment centers in Christ, who strengthens [us].
So as you struggle perhaps even with contentment, bring that to God in prayer as well. “Lord, help me to be content with this situation in my life. Lord, help me to see what is around me as a gift from your gracious hand. Lord, help me to remember that you will fully supply my every need in Jesus.”
These prayers are not complicated. They don’t need to be be the long, ornate prayers we might use in a worship service. For the Christian, prayer is like breathing, it is an extended, ongoing, free-flowing conversation with the God who created you and redeemed you. This Thanksgiving and every other day hereafter, make it a priority to see not just the concerns or worries of this life, but the gifts you’ve been given from God. And don’t see those concerns as something you have to try to deal with first—bring them to your God in prayer who you know will answer you in the way that is eternally best for you, because that’s exactly what he’s promised to do.
Even on a weird and difficult Thanksgiving like we’re facing this year, we still have so much to be thankful for. May God bless your celebrations and your concerns with his gracious care. Happy Thanksgiving! Amen.
