Choices have consequences.
Philippians 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice.
You look around, read the latest best seller, listen to news broadcasts, hear the messages of the political class, and then you pick up your Bible and God is telling you to rejoice. What? Really? In these days of tension and turmoil at home and abroad?
With the double emphasis on rejoicing in Philippians 4:4, it seems to be a command not to be shrugged off. And it is a command that you must make a deliberate choice to obey, especially in the midst of difficult circumstances. But God is looking to refocus your mind. He wants a different attitude to flow from you. It isn’t about how you feel; it is a subtle acknowledgment that you recognize that God is still in control.
He knows when your heart is heavy with sorrow or grief, or when you are worried. How often has the psalmist cried out to Him from the depths of depression. But, if you can truly know that God is sovereign and your life is in His hand, and that not even a hair from your head falls to the ground without His knowledge, doesn’t it make sense to be content in everything…and rejoice?
Pray With Us
God, I thank You that in Jesus You have given me an abundant life. I thank You that joy in You doesn’t come from a superficial happiness based on circumstances, because the circumstances aren’t so great in our world today, but that joy is found in knowing You and Your care for me. Let me rest in that knowledge, and then go on my way rejoicing for I am Your child. Thank You for loving me,
Amen.
