Paul’s letter to the Philippians is often referred to as the letter of joy. In it he uses the word rejoice a half
dozen times and then the word joy even more. He writes with joy and is rejoicing as he pens his letter. But
Paul is sitting in a Roman prison when he does all this. I’m always struck by the contrast. He is in jail for no
other reason than telling people that God loves them and has provided a way for them to be with him for all
eternity. And in response, people file charges against him and he ends up far away from home in jail. And he
writes to his friends that they should always be full of joy…that no matter what they should rejoice! He is
showing us that joy is not a product of our circumstances. He is in prison, facing an uncertain future and even
death. But instead of proclaiming how bad things are, we hear something different from his heart… he speaks
and writes of joy. We all have times in our lives when joy seems to be the least logical response to what we are
going through. Pain, fear, disappointment, discouragement all seem to wipe out any sense of joy in any person.
So, what is the secret? Paul knew it. It is to have our hearts so full of Christ, that we are not overwhelmed by
our circumstances. This does not come naturally…it is learned. And it is learned by walking through hard
times and seeing God takes us by the hand, asking us to trust him and him leading us day by day…and
sometimes it is even minute by minute. Paul didn’t learn this overnight…and neither will you nor I. So, take
each trial or heartache and invite God to walk with you day by day through your hard time. And when you see
he has brought you to the other side, you will find rejoicing easier and more natural in times when it just doesn’t
make sense to the world out there. But he will take you by the hand and as you fill your heart with him, he
will bring you the joy that can only come from the Lord.
Here’s our verse for today…
Philippians 4:4-7 NLT Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! (5) Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. (6) Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. (7) Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Remember I’m praying for you,
PJ
Here’s our verse for today…
Philippians 4:4-7 NLT Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! (5) Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. (6) Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. (7) Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Remember I’m praying for you,
PJ