The Lodestar

Paul uses the metaphor of a Roman soldier guarding the entrance of a city to explain how God secures the minds of those who trust in him from anxiety. Worrying thoughts enter our hearts through the senses; what we see, touch, hear, or smell may cause worries. But the peace that God gives will ward off these stimuli before they can frighten us.

This peace that keeps worries away is first "peace of God", or peace of divine origin, not a mental state we make out through our effort. Secondly, it is a peace that no one could explain. For example, this peace rules the hearts of people who go through immense struggles in life. In human terms, they have no reason to be peaceful. But since they have experienced the peace of heavenly origin, they remain calm in the most turbulent situations, like seagulls perched on the high masts of the ships tossed by waves.

The previous verses have revealed the secret of achieving this state of calm and peace. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Phil 4:6). Stop worrying; be thankful to God for what he has done in the past. Pray with confidence in God. If we do that much, God appoints the sentry to guard our hearts from worrying thoughts so that we can remain calm, peaceful, and confident when anxious thoughts invade our minds.

Take a moment today to lay your anxieties before God. Pause, pray, and give thanks for the ways he has carried you in the past. Invite his peace — not of human making, but of divine origin — to stand guard over your heart and mind. When worries come knocking, let God’s sentry of peace keep them at bay. Trust him, pray boldly, and live confidently in the calm only he can provide.

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