Rejoice
Friday, December 29
Philippians 4:4 (NKJV)
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”
Devoción
When we find ourselves in unexpected places, in the stable instead of the stars, how do we respond to God? Do we blame Him, or do we praise Him? It can be easy to feel disappointed when we thought we were getting a star, but instead we find ourselves in a stable.
Even when we find ourselves in those situations, it is important to rejoice in the Lord. We can take encouragement from Paul as he wrote the book of Philippians because we know he wrote most of his letters under the pressure of difficult situations. He had been beaten, snake bitten, shipwrecked, stoned, and through disaster after disaster, and yet he still writes “Rejoice in the Lord always.” He knew suffering, he knew pain, but that did not alter the way in which he approached God.
In the midst of our suffering, we, as Christians, must learn to rejoice in the Lord always and draw strength from remembering God’s goodness, His faithfulness, and nearness. During difficulties, we can have joy, peace, kindness, and gentleness. When these virtues become our response regardless of our circumstances, they will begin to become evident to all, and we then have the opportunity to share with others the Source of our joy and peace – Jesus. Rejoice in the Lord!
Oración de hoy
Querido Padre Celestial,
We thank You for the Apostle Paul's example and admonition to rejoice in the Lord Jesus always. We thank You for all of Your provision in Jesus. We confess we do not always rejoice as we ought, and we also tend to quickly forget Your past goodness and provision, and we quickly remember our lack. We confess our stables are sometimes created in our own minds. Help us Lord, and reveal the blessings in the stable as we look to You. Teach us how to rejoice so that we can complain less. In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen
Aplíquelo hoy mismo
Paul wrote many of his letters from prison – what did he have to rejoice about? If you have been saved through Jesus Christ, like Paul, rejoice that your sins have been forgiven, rejoice that the Holy Spirit lives in you, rejoice that Jesus sees your tears and shares your sorrows (Isaiah 53:4), rejoice that God has a purpose for you on earth and a place for you in heaven. Do you have assurance of these treasures? Praise the Lord! Do you not have such assurance but wish you did? Jesus promised that if we seek him with all our hearts, we will find him.
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