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Devotional
His Most Excellent Harmonies: Philippians 4:8-9 (The Message) – “Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.”
Some people don’t like the Message version of the Bible, others love it. I don’t use it as my primary study Bible, but I use it as a secondary reference. I like the way it makes me think about scripture, and the way it uses more common language to get the point across. So when I came across Philippians 4:8-9 in my regular study Bible, I thought I’d take a look to see how the Message version phrased it. I don’t know what it was, but the phrase “most excellent harmonies” has just stuck with me. It’s another way of saying “peace”, and in Philippians 4:8-9, it’s telling us that God’s peace will be given to us. “His most excellent harmonies” is just a really cool way to say His peace. It’s God’s excellent harmony that He offers us. The very best, the most excellent peace that God is willing to give us.
God is the God of peace. Do you need some peace in your life? Some harmony in your crazy schedule or rest in your day to day routine? Are you afraid or broken, confused or angry? Are you holding grudges like it’s money? Have you worried your hair gray or gnawed your teeth flat? What are you holding onto that you haven’t lifted up to God in prayer, releasing the control to Him? Take whatever hurt or anger or worry you are holding onto and pray to God about it. Just pray. Ask for God’s peace. Ask Him to shower down His love and His joy on you. Stand up, open up your arms right now and ask God to hit you with His most excellent harmonies!
** I encourage you to use these passages from God’s Word as a resource in your daily life. Don’t let this truth just rest on this tag or on this shirt. Use it! Let it become a part of you, let the scripture be written on your heart and move you to live your life in obedience to God out of love. Dive into God’s Word, spend time with Him in prayer, connect with other believers, live for Jesus who died for your sins and rose again! **
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