The Peace of God
What She Said - Part 7
Sharon W. Betters
Today’s Treasure
The Lord is at hand; 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.
Philippians 4:5b–7
Dear Friends,
The surgeon’s words stunned us. “Chuck, you need a quintuple by-pass as soon as possible.”
My heart skipped several beats as I absorbed the risks of the surgery and the risk of another heart attack while we waited for the surgery. Chuck asked if he had any other options. “Yes, we can try to treat you with medication but you will likely have a fatal heart attack.”
The doctor explained the surgery and its accompanying risks. While low, we know each percentage point of possibly dying, having a stroke, kidney problems requiring dialysis and more represent people who have actually experienced these medical crises. Chuck was one of those 1% statistics after another major surgery.
We spread the word to prayer warriors, asking for them to cover the surgeon, his team and Chuck with prayer. At the end of a long waiting day, the surgeon told us the procedure was successful. The hard work of recovery began. As we left the hospital, Chuck thanked the surgeon for using his skills to save his life. The surgeon responded, “We did the easy part. You are the one doing the hard part.”
Chuck is home, learning what that hard part looks like. Yes, challenging days face us, but we are so grateful for those witnesses ahead of us in this journey who encourage us that every hard minute will be worth the good health that is coming.
As a little girl, I memorized Today’s Treasure, not knowing the Lord planted this Scripture in my heart as a tiny stick of dynamite ready to explode at the exact moment of my need:
The Lord is at hand; 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.
Philippians 4:5b–7
Though moments of anxiety washed over me, most of the time we waited, I felt carried. Not only was I making supplication for Chuck, so were many others. Somehow the Lord works through prayer to give us His peace that passes all understanding. Perhaps the fact of His past faithfulness in the darkness helped equip me for this season. I knew the Lord might take Chuck home. But in those terrifying moments, the Lord turned my heart back toward Him.
The Lord used another older woman to help me pray for the Lord to make my heart glad during this journey. I share that story in our monthly Daily Treasure eNews.
In the meantime, Barbaranne Kelly continues to open up the treasure chest of Philippians and say this about Today’s Treasure:
Today’s Treasure is one of the reasons Philippians is beloved by so many. The encouragement of the Lord’s presence to calm our anxieties and turn to Him in prayer, trusting His promised peace to guard our hearts and minds is a treasure indeed. But more than a comforting thought, this passage is part of a call to action issued by Paul to all believers—a call to rest in God’s presence and His promises. This is how we stand firm in the Lord.
Friends, dig deep into Philippians with Barbaranne, soak in the rich treasures of this power-packed little book. The Lord’s grace will flow from this message of joy into your hearts today and help equip you for what is to come.
Treasured by Him,
Sharon
PS – If you are curious about how an older woman taught me to pray, “Make my heart glad”, go to treasuresofencouragement.org and look for Susan Hunt’s Encouragement Story.
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Thank you for listening today to Daily Treasure!
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Sharon W. Betters is author of Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, co-author of Treasures of Faith. and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace, Flourishing in an Anti-Aging Culture. She is Director of Resource Development and co-founder of MARKINC.org, a non-profit organization that offers help and hope to hurting people. Sharon enjoys quality time with her husband, children, fourteen grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Contact Sharon with comments or questions at dailytreasure@markinc.org.