The Joy of the Lord


"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! " — Philippians 4:4

We conclude the H2O series with a look at Philippians, chapter 4. Like so many texts in this book, the final chapter is inspiring and challenging. And Paul doesn't take long to get to it. He offers the exhortation for us to rejoice in verse four. It was so important to him, he referenced it twice.

That is part of a larger theme Paul offers on being joyful and leaning on God in all circumstances. Consider this exhortation: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 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." — Philippians 4:4-7.

It's hard to find a section of Scripture simpler, more inspiring, and more challenging than that. Rejoice, Paul tells us, and let our gentleness be evident to all. He further extolls the virtue of taking everything to God in prayer, and letting the peace of God reign down on us. It sounds simple. It sounds like something we want to do. But it's also incredibly hard to put into practice. This is one of those situations where we have to reconcile what our head tells us is right, and where our heart often pulls us.

One of the things I was struck by during Bible Study this week was a discussion about our response, as people, to tough situations. In 1 Samuel 8, when confronted by a challenging disappointment, Samuel turned to God in prayer. He laid his cares before the Lord, and let the Lord direct his path. That is what we're called to do, but it can be hard because it often goes against our normal, human response.

I was moved by how openly those in attendance shared similar struggles, but a desire to live out the exhortation of Paul in this chapter and the example Samuel offered in that chapter. Time and again we see people in the Bible responding in this way.

This week during my small group I was struck by that reading another passage, this time a prayer from Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the first part of Luke. It's a beautiful prayer of praise and thanksgiving, yet it comes during a difficult period. A young, unwed, virgin in Mary was found with child. We know how the story ends and have the benefit of hindsight, so it can be easy to forget what a challenge that would have been to Mary at the time. Yet she was overflowing with praise for the Lord, confident He would provide as He promised to do. And He did.

It can be hard for us to follow that model, but it's clear in reading Scripture that the results are undeniable. We serve a great and wonderful God who is true to His promises. We just need to rejoice, lean on Him, and dare to believe.

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