“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.”
Living the Christian life is so opposite to, so against the grain of, our human nature. When today’s Scripture exhorts us to rejoice in the Lord always, our first inclination may be to wave it off. We may prefer to fall into the easy rut of being negative or depressed. Common sense, however, warns us this will only make things worse.
Today’s Scripture is a triple whammy. We are to rejoice in the Lord always, and then again, and do so with an exclamation mark. Christians can rejoice because their ground for doing so is not in circumstances but in the Lord. How can we rejoice in chronic pain or rejection or bankruptcy? Paul goes on to provide reason enough: “The Lord is near” (NIV). You can keep a bright outlook in the midst of any hardship; you can have peace of mind when you know that the Lord Jesus himself is close at hand.
Reflect:
Read Philippians 4:4–5. When has your awareness of God’s faithful presence helped you to rejoice—even in hard circumstances?
Pray:
Several times throughout the day, spend a bit of time praying in silence by focusing your mind and heart on God’s nearness—his faithful presence with you in each moment.
While we pray for peace, we need moral clarity about this war.
As my doubts about his teachings grew, so did a secret fascination with Jesus.
We must always be people of the Word, but we’ll have to reimagine deep engagement with Scripture.
