Philippians 4: 6-7:  Tex’s paraphrase: “Don’t worry about anything, but with an attitude of gratitude, tell God what you need, and leave it in His hands.  Then His peace, the peace that gives you comfort and rest, the peace that passes all understanding, will guard and protect your hearts and your thoughts through Christ Jesus.”

“Don’t worry about anything.”  In Matthew 6:34, KJV Jesus says, “Take no thought for the morrow.”  Liberally translated that’d be “Don’t worry”, but Tex’s paraphrase would be “Don’t even think about tomorrow AT ALL.”   That’s what Phil 4:6-7, starts out saying as well, “Don’t worry about anything, don’t even think about it.”  God wants us to turn all our problems over to Him, not even think about them anymore, just let Him take care of them.

Even when the devil is looking over your shoulder saying, “God’s not going to help you. You better be worried ‘cause this is only going to get worse.” You can honestly say, “I don’t know how He’s going to do it, but I KNOW that He’s going to take care of me and mine, no matter what happens.”

This is about our attitude to what is going on around us, whether it’s good or bad.  The attitude God is looking for is this: When you’re really worried, when you’ve got lots of things to be worried about; when you’re at the end of your rope, and your grip is slipping; when you’re absolutely certain there isn’t a cotton-pickin’ thing you can do, you just make up your mind that you’re turn your problem over to God and leave it with Him, and receive the peace that God has for you, right in the middle of the biggest storm of your life.  That’s the rest that David was talking about in the 23rd Psalm.  ‘‘Even when I’m walking through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for You are with me.’ That is exactly the attitude you get when you “Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for what you need,” and leave the results up to him.  What’d’ya get?  Peace that passes all understanding.  The air is full of God’s peace.  All we have to do is take a deep breath.