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Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Philippians 4:6-8 (NIV)

Though amazing and a very comforting couple of Bible verses, this may just look like Philippians 4 to many of you. But to me it is SO MUCH MORE.

I have known these verses for years. The first two were my late husband Michael’s favorite. (The photo above is actually his Bible, that I now use, where he underlined this verse. It is my most valuable earthly possession). After he passed, I also found those words written on a note card in the door of his truck.

The last verse: This is my husband Keith’s favorite (by the grace of God, I remarried seven-and-a-half years ago). He shared Philippians 4:8 with me while we were dating. We used those words to hold our relationship accountable and to be sure we were following where the Lord was leading.

What I didn’t realize until just a couple of years ago is that these verses are right by each other in the book of Philippians. They complement each other. Keith’s favorite verse is the continuation to Michael’s favorite. Out of 66 books in the Bible, their favorite verses fall in the same book and directly by one another. Coincidence? Of course not!

How in the world had I not realized this!? After all of this time and these truths being on repeat in my mind–proof (that He so graciously provides) of God’s mercy and how He knows just what we need, when we need it.

I am in awe of how the Lord continues to work in my life–how He shows up to remind us of His presence, no matter our circumstances. On the good days, the horrific and all of the in between, He is there!

The moment I realized this, I was having a moment of anxiety, trying to remind myself of the coping skills I’ve learned through counseling and attempting to stand firm in Jesus’ truth. As my thoughts began to spiral, I remembered how Paul must have felt when he wrote the book of Philippians. He was locked in a prison cell, not knowing what his future would hold. But he knew who held his future!Jesus gave us these words to help us replace the negativity in our head and lies from the enemy with truth. HIS TRUTH!

God’s promises give us ultimate hope in every circumstance. He meets every need. Paul wrote confidently of this truth and gave us clear guidance for our anxious thoughts: Choose to be grateful, and choose to think about what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy.

I know this can be beyond difficult. After the loss of my husband, gratefulness was not an emotion I could even think of “feeling”. But the Lord promises that, in the end, He will resolve every problem we may face here on this earth.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
Revelation 21:4 (NIV)

We cannot always choose our circumstances, but we can choose to persevere and choose to be grateful for His promises. God wants us to live in hope, joy and peace–but we can only do that through Him.

For you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will cling for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
Psalm 63:6-7 (ESV)

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13 (NIV)

Lord, You are our comforter. Remind us that You provide all we need. Help us to choose to walk in this truth. We are grateful for your mercy, love and strength. Amen.