Tag: rejoice

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1 Thessalonians Devotionals

God’s will for us

Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

A lot of times, we ask, “What is God’s will for me?”

While this is not the whole of God’s will for us, Paul does tell us how God desires us to live each day: “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything.”

Life isn’t always fun. Many times we face trials.

How is it then that we can rejoice always and give thanks in everything? When life is hard, what do we have to rejoice about, to give thanks about.

We can give thanks and rejoice in how God sees us. That he has stamped his image on us (Genesis 1:26-27).

And as his priests, he has stamped his seal on us: “Holy to the Lord.” (Exodus 28:36, Deuteronomy 7:6, 14:2; 1 Peter 2: 5, 9).

And because we are his, his priests, his people, his beloved children, we have access to him 24-7.

We don’t have to be afraid he’ll reject us or turn us away. In good times and bad, in our triumphs and struggles, we can come to him with boldness.

That’s God’s will for us. To walk with him moment to moment, rejoicing in our relationship with him.

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Psalms Devotionals 2

A reason to rejoice

Psalms

Do not trust in nobles,
in a son of man, who cannot save. (Psalm 146:3)

Reading that as Christians, that second line is really striking, isn’t it?

Do not trust in a son of man, who cannot save.

Yet as Christians, we do trust in a Son of Man to save. We trust in Jesus.

Why?

Because he is not just a Son of Man.

Rather, Jesus was “appointed to be the powerful Son of God according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection of the dead.” (Romans 1:4)

So unlike mere men whose plans die when they do (4), Jesus rose and lives forever.

While he was on earth, he gave food to the hungry, gave sight to the blind, and raised those who were oppressed.

Now because of the cross and his resurrection, all we spiritual prisoners have been set free.

And the day will come when he will bring justice to this earth, reigning forever in righteousness.  

That’s a reason to worship, don’t you think?

Hallelujah!
My soul, praise the Lord.

I will praise the Lord all my life;
I will sing to my God as long as I live. (1-2)

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Psalms Devotionals

Hating evil, choosing to rejoice

Psalms

Two verses caught my eyes this morning. They made me think of the attitudes of my heart.

O you who love the Lord, hate evil! (Psalm 97:10)

It is impossible for those who truly love the Lord, to love evil.

But how much do I hate it? How much do I hate the sin in my own life? Are there sins I embrace? Or maybe I don’t embrace them, but I make excuses for them.

Lord, help me to hate sin in my life.

Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,
and give thanks to his holy name! (12)

There is lots I could complain about in this world. But we are called to rejoice in the Lord. To give thanks to him.

How much would my attitudes change if I chose to rejoice, if I chose to give thanks every day? To rejoice in his salvation. To give thanks for his love. To rejoice in his goodness. To give thanks for the blessings he has given me.

Lord, help me to have a heart that rejoices each day. And give me a thankful heart.

I choose to rejoice in you today. And I choose to have a thankful heart.

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Psalms Devotionals

A reason to rejoice

Psalms

Lord, I live in a dark world. I see moral decay around me. I see people living without hope.

But Lord, you have called me to rejoice. To sing to you a new song (Psalm 96:1-2).

And why not?

After all, you saved me, forgiving my sin and giving me new life.

And now you have called me to proclaim your salvation from day to day. To declare your glory and your wondrous work of salvation to a people who are dying. (3)

Lord, they worship worthless idols that cannot save them. But we worship you.

You are great and highly praised. You reign! And you are coming back to judge this world in righteousness and faithfulness. (4-5, 10, 13)

Lord, I look forward to that day.

But many people around me don’t know you. They don’t know your goodness. They don’t know your salvation.

Let them see your joy in me. And give me the opportunity and courage to proclaim your wondrous work of salvation to them.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Psalms Devotionals

Commanded to rejoice

Psalms

Verses 4-5 of Psalm 81 were very interesting to me when I read them.

In verses 1-3, Asaph says things like, “sing aloud,” “shout for joy,” and “raise a song” to God.

Then he gives the reason in verses 4-5. It is a statute, a rule, a decree. One which God gave the Israelites after he rescued them from Egypt.

Why was it important to God that they did this? So that they would remember all he had done to save them. How he had lifted away their burdens, delivered them from slavery to Egypt, and led them through the desert to the promised land.

In the same way, God commands us to rejoice as well.

Rejoice that he has lifted from us our burden of sin and set us free from Satan’s kingdom. Rejoice that he is always with us, leading us to his eternal kingdom.

Why is it so important for us to remember that? So that we will trust him, obey him, and open our mouths wide to his Word (verse 10, see also Ezekiel 3:1-3 and Jeremiah 15:16).

And as we do that, we find his blessing in our lives (16).

How much more would we trust and obey him if we would remember he loves us and desires to bless us.

And how much more would we remember that truth if we remembered what he did to save us and rejoiced in it?

That’s one reason why communion is important. It’s a time to remember and rejoice.

I know in this time of pandemic, many churches haven’t been able to do that. I’m looking forward to remembering and rejoicing with all God’s people in that way again.

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Romans Devotionals

A reason to rejoice

Romans

I think for almost all Americans, their eyes are on this presidential election. I have to admit, it’s been hard for me not to keep an eye on what’s been going on.

And honestly, I worry about the direction of our country. Though I have been telling myself, “God is in control,” my anxieties tell me that my heart still struggles with that reality.

But as I read Romans this morning, Paul’s words were a real encouragement to me.

Oh, the depth of the riches
and the wisdom and the knowledge of God!

How unsearchable his judgments
and untraceable his ways!

For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?

And who has ever given to God,
that he should be repaid?

For from him and through him
and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:33-36)

I remember wondering four years ago why God would allow Trump to win the presidency. I’m sure there are many Christians that still wonder that. 

But here’s the thing: I may not be able to understand God’s judgments. I may not be able to trace out the way he thinks. 

But the truth is, I don’t have to. God has been running this world for thousands of years. And he knows what he’s doing. 

In his day, Habakkuk couldn’t figure out why in the world God would let the Babylonians conquer Israel even though Babylon was more godless than Israel. (Habakkuk 1:13)

But Habakkuk learned that God’s ways, although inscrutable at times, are ultimately good, right, and just.

God didn’t need Habakkuk’s advice on how to do things. And he certainly doesn’t need mine. 

And so I choose to trust him. Whether Biden wins or Trump wins, whether the Republicans keep the Senate or lose it, God’s plans will not be frustrated. 

And that’s good enough for me. 

In many ways, Daniel’s words reflect Paul’s.

May the name of God
be praised forever and ever,
for wisdom and power belong to him.

He changes the times and seasons;
he removes kings and establishes kings.

He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those
who have understanding.

He reveals the deep and hidden things;
he knows what is in the darkness,
and light dwells with him. (Daniel 2:20-22)

And even Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged,

For his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
and his kingdom is from generation to generation.

All the inhabitants of the earth are counted as nothing,
and he does what he wants with the army of heaven
and the inhabitants of the earth.

There is no one who can block his hand
or say to him, “What have you done?” (Daniel 4:34-35)

So let us turn our eyes to God, worshiping him as he alone deserves. 

To him be the glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:36)

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Romans Devotionals

A reason to rejoice

Romans

I’m currently in the process of translating all my posts on Hebrews into Japanese, so as I read today’s passage, I saw a link between this chapter and Hebrews 10 that I had never seen before.

Paul says,

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2)

The writer of Hebrews says something very similar in chapter ten of his letter.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus— he has inaugurated for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)— and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. (Hebrews 10:19-22)

The idea in both passages are the same. Through Jesus, we now have free access to God. We no longer have to stand in fear of God. Rather, we now have peace with him, standing in his grace.

In the Old Testament days, God manifested his glory in the tabernacle, particularly in a room called the Most Holy Place.

For this reason, only the high priest could come into that room, and he could only come in once a year.

For him, to stand in the presence of God’s glory was an awesome thing, but also a fearsome thing.

The Israelites themselves feared drawing anywhere near to God and his glory (Exodus 20:18-21), and God himself warned against it (Exodus 19:11-12; 20-22).

But through his death, Jesus tore down the barrier between us and God. We no longer need to be fearful as stand in the presence of God’s glory.

Rather, we can stand boldly by grace in his presence and rejoice in that glory.

The question is, do we truly understand the grace on which we stand?

Do we grasp it to the point that we understand the sufferings we go through are not punishments from God? Do we instead have hope in our sufferings?

What is the basis of our hope? The peace we have with God.

When we were still God’s enemies, Christ died for us. He didn’t wait for us to make ourselves good before he died for us. When we were still hostile toward him, he died for us.

And if Jesus did that for us while we are his enemies, how can we now think he has turned against us and is punishing us when we are his friends?

Rather, the same God who loved and saved us when we were his enemies, now pours out his love and mercy on us as his friends.

So whatever trials you may be facing, remember: we are at peace with God. Jesus made that peace possible 2000 years ago on a cross.

Let us now rest in that peace.

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Deuteronomy Devotionals

Remember and rejoice

Deuteronomy

If you’ve been paying attention, the theme of “rejoice” has been popping up a lot in these blogs lately.

I’ve never thought of Deuteronomy being a book that teaches “rejoicing,” but not only does it teach about rejoicing, it commands it.

Again and again, you see God saying not, “It might be a good thing to rejoice” or “Try to remember to rejoice once a while,” but “You shall rejoice.” (Deuteronomy 12:7, 8, 18, 14:26, 16:11, 16:14, 26:11, 27:7).

And rejoicing is almost always linked to remembering.

We remember his daily blessings. (Deuteronomy 15:14)

More importantly, we remember how we have been redeemed from slavery to Satan’s kingdom. (Deuteronomy 15:15, 16:3, 16:12)

That remembering and rejoicing should shape our lives.

It should make us be generous to those around us (Deuteronomy 15:7-15).

It should cause us to trust God and obey him (Deuteronomy 16:11-12).

It should cause us to desire to worship, not just at home, but with God’s people.

In those days, it was at the tabernacle. In our days, it is at church. (Deuteronomy 16:2, 5, 11, 15, 16).

It should cause us to want to give what we have to God, because we remember it all came from God in the first place. (Deuteronomy 16:16-17)

How often do you remember and rejoice?

How does it shape your life?

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Deuteronomy Devotionals

Rejoice!

Deuteronomy

Whenever you read the Bible, it’s always good to look for words and ideas that are repeated.

Of course, even if God says something only once, we should pay attention. But when he repeats something, we know it’s something really important to him.

What words do we see repeated again and again in this passage?

“Rejoice.”

The word sometimes also has the idea of “enjoy” and you see this in some translations.

“You will eat there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice with our household in everything you do, because the Lord your God has blessed you.” (Deuteronomy 12:7)

“You will rejoice before the LORD your God.” (12)

“Rejoice before the LORD your God in everything you do.” (18)

God wants us to enjoy the blessings he has given us. More than that, he wants us to rejoice in the Giver of those blessings.

It reminds me of Philippians 4:4 where Paul says,

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

If there is one cure to spiritual amnesia in our lives, it’s rejoicing in the Lord.

So take time today to rejoice.

Rejoice in the cross.

Rejoice in Christ’s resurrection.

Rejoice in your salvation.

Rejoice in God’s provision.

Rejoice!

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Deuteronomy Devotionals

Resting to remember

Deuteronomy

I talked last week about the danger of taking God for granted.

It is a danger that the Israelites definitely fell into time and again. It was for that reason that God instituted the Sabbath.

In recounting the Ten Commandments, Moses told the Israelites this.

Be careful to remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy as the Lord your God has commanded you…

Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm.

That is why the Lord your God has commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. (Deuteronomy 5:12, 15)

Why did God command the Sabbath?

So that the Israelites would remember God’s goodness to them. To remember how he had freed them from slavery in Egypt. To remember all the great miracles he performed to deliver them.

But I think you can say that God didn’t want them to just remember.

He wanted them to rejoice.

As Christians, the Sabbath itself is no longer binding on us. (Colossians 2:16)

That said, it is good to set aside one day a week to go to church, not out of mere habit or duty, but to remember and rejoice.

To remember what Jesus did on a cross two thousand years ago.

To think about all God did to call us to himself.

And to rejoice that God has rescued us from the domain of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, redeeming us, and forgiving all our sins. (Colossians 1:11-14)

What is Sunday to you?

Just a day to relax? A day to serve God?

Those are good things.

But let us also be sure to make it a day to remember and rejoice.

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Philippians Devotionals

When we rejoice

PhilippiansHope

I wrote last week about how we are commanded to rejoice.

We see it again in this passage.

And as I read it, it made me think, “What happens when we rejoice?”

First and foremost, it gets our eyes on Jesus and all the good that we have in him.

The result?

It helps us be more gracious to those who are hard to get along with. (Philippians 4:1-3, 5)

It reminds us that the Lord is near. (4)

It takes away anxiety in our lives and reminds us that God is worthy of our trust. (5-6)

It gives us peace. (7)

So as Paul said, let us rejoice in the Lord. Let us rejoice in the Lord who is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy. (8)

Or as David put it,

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his faithful love endures forever. (Psalm 118:1)

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Psalms Devotionals

Commanded to rejoice

Psalms

At my church yesterday, we were looking at the story of Jehoshaphat and how in the face of an unwinnable battle, he placed the worshipers out in front of the army. What did those worshipers sing?

Give thanks to the Lord,
for his faithful love endures forever. (2 Chronicles 20:21)

I wonder if the song they were singing was actually Psalm 136?

At any rate, in choosing to worship, they remembered who God was and what he had done for them. And as a result, God brought about great victory.

I couldn’t help but think of that story as I read Psalm 81. For in it, Asaph tells us,

Sing for joy to God our strength;
shout in triumph to the God of Jacob.

Lift up a song—play the tambourine,
the melodious lyre, and the harp. (Psalm 81:1-2)

And then he says,

For this is a statute for Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob. (4)

In other words, God commanded the Israelites to worship.

In this case, Asaph was probably pointing to the Feast of Tabernacles when the people remembered their journeys in the desert after God had freed them from Egypt.

Why did God command the people to worship?

To help them keep their eyes on him.

To remember who he is, and what he had done for them.

So that they would trust him, living by every word that comes from his mouth, not turning away from him as their ancestors did again and again.

And why did their ancestors turn away? Because they forgot who God was and what he had done for them.

And so it made me think. How much is worship a part of my life? I used to do it a lot when I was younger, and then kind of got away from it for some reason.

Of course, worship is much more than just singing songs. But that doesn’t mean singing is not important.

God commands us to rejoice. To sing to him. And so that’s what I want to do more of going forward.

Lord, help me to sing and rejoice in you as you have commanded. Set my focus on you in the good times and the bad.

I rejoice, Lord, because you are good. And your faithful love endures forever. Amen.

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Matthew Devotionals

A reason to rejoice

Matthew

Last Sunday, my pastor gave a message on Acts 16, in which Paul and Silas were worshiping in prison.

That’s a pretty remarkable thing to do when you think about it. Most people would be throwing a pity party. 

“God, here I am serving you, and what do I get for it? I get beaten and I get thrown in prison.”

That would be the natural reaction.

How could Paul and Silas rejoice? Perhaps because of what Jesus had told the apostles after his resurrection. (Paul and Silas weren’t there, but they had no doubt been told about Jesus’s words.)

All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.

And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:18-20)

“All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.”

No doubt, as the disciples reflected on those words, they remembered Daniel 7:13-14.

I continued watching in the night visions,
and suddenly one like a son of man
was coming with the clouds of heaven.

He approached the Ancient of Days
and was escorted before him.

He was given dominion,
and glory, and a kingdom;
so that those of every people,
nation, and language
should serve him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that will not pass away,
and his kingdom is one
that will not be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13-14)

In interpreting the vision, an angel then told Daniel,

But the holy ones of the Most High will receive the kingdom and possess it forever, yes, forever and ever. (Daniel 7:18)

Why could Paul and Silas rejoice? Because they remembered two things.

First, the Father had given Jesus all authority. He had given Jesus a kingdom that will never be destroyed.

Second, we will receive that kingdom too and possess it forever.

How often do we reflect on that?

How good is God to us to make us a part of Jesus’ kingdom, a kingdom that will never end!

That’s why Paul and Silas didn’t focus on their troubles. Instead they rejoiced in God’s goodness toward them. And because of that, they continued to look at what God was doing around them, and made disciples, even of their jailer.

But there was one other thing they remembered. Jesus had said, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

We saw at the beginning of the book of Matthew that Jesus was called “Immanuel.” Here we see it again.

And that’s why Paul could write in another place,

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice…The Lord is near. (Philippians 4:4-5)

So whatever trial you’re facing now, rejoice! All authority has been given to Jesus. He has been given a kingdom and we are a part of it.

So let us do as Jesus said, joining in his work and making disciples of all nations.

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Philippians Devotionals

How our awe of God affects our attitudes

PhilippiansHope

I did want to write one last thing (for now about our awe of God).

It should affect our attitudes.

It strikes me that with Euodia and Syntyche that was one thing they were lacking in their spat with one another.

What exactly they were fighting about we don’t know, but one thing is clear: instead of looking at him, they were looking at themselves and each other.

How often do I do the same? I fail to stand in awe of God, so my focus turns inward, thinking about my rights, my “righteousness,” and what I deserve.

More, I start criticizing others for not measuring up to my standards.

Awe should also affect how we see our problems.

We remember that the Lord is near, and so we aren’t anxious about anything. Instead, with confidence and faith, we place all our needs before our Father, knowing that he will take care of them.

Right now, I have no huge worries, but I have in the past, and they were times of major stress for me. But God saw me through.

I’d like to think that I’ve learned my lesson, but when the next crisis hits, will I be anxious, totally stressing out about my situation? Or will I rest?

More, awe should keep us content in the midst of hardship.

Instead of complaining about what we don’t have, we worship and praise God for what we do have, particularly our salvation, but also the many other blessings that we so often take for granted.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)

Lord, help me to do just that.

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Philippians Devotionals

Rejoicing in the Lord

PhilippiansHope

Recently, I preached a message on standing in awe of God. And so as I have been reading through Philippians, I see that theme everywhere.

It struck me as I read chapters 3 and 4, that in rejoicing in the Lord, (which is a major theme of this letter), we show our awe of God.

How do we rejoice in the Lord?

1. We worship him by the Spirit of God (Philippians 3:3). The Spirit that causes us to cry out “Abba, Father!” The Spirit that lets us know that we are truly God’s children. (Romans 8:15).

2. We “glory” in Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:3). Because I am in Japan, I often look at the Japanese Bible, and the translation there pulls out another meaning of “glory.” It says we “boast” in Jesus.

What exactly do we boast about?

We boast of who he is.

King of Kings.

Lord of Lords.

Creator.

Redeemer.

We boast in what he has done. That through the cross, he paid our debt of sin.

We boast, not in our own righteousness, but his righteousness that he now clothes us with. (Philippians 3:9)

So in worshiping God through the Spirit and boasting in Jesus, we show our awe of him and rejoice in him.

As we consider him, what other things do we rejoice about?

We rejoice in the surpassing worth of knowing him personally, and him knowing us personally. Everything else is like dung compared to him. All our righteousness. All our efforts. All our accomplishments. (3:4-8)

We rejoice in the honor of suffering for his name as the apostles did. (10)

We rejoice in the fact that Jesus has taken hold of us and made us his own. (12)

We rejoice that we are part of his kingdom. (20)

And we rejoice in the fact that one day we will be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (21)

So each day, let us stand in awe of God. And as Paul says,

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (4:4)

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James Devotionals

Let us sing praise

James

As today is Thanksgiving in the States (as I write this, anyway), James words struck me as I read them.

Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises. (James 5:13)

I think most people are quick to pray when they are suffering, sometimes asking why, sometimes asking for relief, often asking for both.

But when we are cheerful, how often is our first response to sing praises to God? To thank him for all he’s done for us. For that matter, how often do we praise him for the simple things in life: family, friends, clothes, a place to live, food?

But it should be said that even in the midst of struggle, we should keep an attitude of praise.

The church James was writing to seemed to be having their share of struggles. But earlier in this chapter, James was telling them to remain steadfast. Why? Because the Lord is returning. And because of that, we have hope.

If Jesus were never returning, if he were never going to bring judgment on all the evil in the world, it would be difficult to rejoice.

But because he is, even in the midst of trial, we can keep our eyes on the end and know that all will be made right.

What’s more, in the first few verses of his letter, James wrote,

Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. (1:2-4)

All our suffering does have a purpose behind it. It is not meaningless. And in the end, we will see God’s compassion and mercy, even as Job did.

So as Paul wrote to the Thessalonians,

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

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1 Thessalonians

Because the Lord is coming (part 2)

1 Thessalonians

As Paul concludes this letter, he gives the Thessalonians some final instructions on how to live in light of the Lord’s coming.

He told them,

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

The Thessalonians were going through a lot of persecution. But Paul said in the midst of it all that it was God’s will for them that they rejoice, pray continually, and give thanks in all their circumstances whether good or bad.

I can’t help but wonder if Paul looked back to this experience in Phillipi, just before he came to Thessalonica.

He and Silas had been beaten and thrown into prison for the gospel. How did they respond? They rejoiced, singing hymns to God, praying and giving thanks in the midst of their circumstances.

The result? God literally shook that place and not only delivered Paul and Silas, but brought salvation to their jailer and his family.

And so now, because of his own personal experience, he could encourage the Thessalonians to do the same in the midst of their hardships.

Paul then admonished the church,

Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. (19-22)

How do we put out the Spirit’s fire and extinguish his work in our lives?

First and foremost by not listening to him and trusting him. That was the problem with the Israelites while they were in the wilderness on the way to the promised land. (Hebrews 3:17-19)

That’s why Paul says don’t treat prophesies with contempt. God can speak through people even today.

But at the same time, test their words. Test them by scripture to make sure their words are from God. And if they are, hold on to them. If they are not, reject them.

But however God speaks to you, through people, through his Word, or whatever, don’t just dismiss Him. In doing so, you put out the Spirit’s fire in your life, and when the Lord comes, he will hold you accountable for it.

Finally, Paul ends with a prayer.

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (23)

And Paul reminds us,

The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. (24)

Because the Lord is coming, may we live lives that are holy and blameless. But remember that it is not by your own efforts that this will happen, but by the power of his Spirit.

So hold on to Him. Don’t quench him in your life.

Instead, let him fill you to overflow, not only making you blameless and holy, but touching the lives of those around you.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. (28)

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Philippians

When we choose to rejoice

PhilippiansHope

Considering all that Paul went through in his life, you would have understood if he had grumbled and complained about all that he went through for the sake of the gospel.

Maybe in times of weakness he did. But according to his letters and every story you ever read of him, he never did that.  Instead, he rejoiced.

Joy is funny that way. It is totally unrelated to the circumstances you are in. Rather, it is dependent on your relationship with God and is something wells up within you despite your circumstances.

You see that in Acts 16 when Paul and Silas were tossed into prison in Philippi. What was their response as they were fastened in stocks, backs sore from being beaten by whips? They sang hymns. They prayed.

And here in Rome, Paul was doing the same kind of thing.

Here he is being guarded by the imperial guard, and it had to be totally different experience for these guards as they came in for their shifts. In most cases, they probably heard the silence of despair, or perhaps moaning or complaining.

But when they came in for their shift to guard Paul, he’s greeting them with smiles, singing hymns, and sharing the gospel with them.

As a result, soon every guard knew this was no ordinary prisoner, and some of them may have even become Christians.

In addition, because of Paul’s imprisonment and his boldness in preaching the gospel even from there, it caused the other Christians to become bolder in preaching the gospel.  

For a number of them, perhaps they saw Paul and thought, “One of God’s apostles is down. I need to pick up some of the slack and do what I can.”

Others, unfortunately, had less pure motives according to Paul. Perhaps they thought to “steal” some of Paul’s sheep while he was out of action.

But through it all, Paul rejoiced because the gospel was spreading despite all Satan’s efforts to keep it contained.

Think for a minute, though. How would things have been if Paul had instead chosen to grumble and complain? To throw a pity party?

It probably would have tossed him into a downward spiral that would not only have discouraged him, but those he had ministered to.

But because he rejoiced, it allowed him to rise above his circumstances to the glory of God.

How about you? What circumstances are you going through? Do you like Paul choose to rejoice in spite of the bad circumstances you are in? Or do you throw a pity party?

One choice lifts us above our circumstances to God’s glory. The other leads to slogging in the mud of despair. Which will you choose?

Categories
Psalms

God…Where are you?

Psalms

It’s very interesting, the timing of this psalm, if only for the reason that our church is starting a new message series today called “God…Where are you?”

And that’s exactly the sentiment that David had in Psalm 13.  He wrote,

How long, Lord?  Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?  (Psalm 13:1-2)

Sometimes I think we make superheroes out of some of the characters of the Bible.

We look at people like David and think that he always felt close to God.  That every time he went through problems, he nevertheless sensed God’s presence in his life, and was comforted.

But everyone, and I mean everyone, goes through desert experiences in their lives.  Times when they wonder where God is.  Times when their prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling.  Times when God seems to be nowhere to be found.

And we like David cry out, “God, where are you?  Why are you hiding from me?  Don’t you see?  Don’t you care?

“Every day I’m wrestling with my thoughts, my fears, and my despair.  How long will this go on?  Help me Lord!  I can’t make it without you.”

What do we do when God seems distant?

In short, just hold on.  Keep trusting that he loves you though you can’t see it or feel it at the moment.  More than that, choose to rejoice though you don’t feel like it.

“How can I rejoice when I don’t feel like it?”

I won’t say it’s easy.  But I think David gives us some hints here.  He sang,

But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.  (5-6)

David recalled to his mind what God had done for him in the past and thanked him for his goodness.  And as he did, he realized that this same God who had delivered him in the past would deliver him from his present troubles.

In the same way, when God seems distant, we need to recall what God has done for us in the past.

We should especially recall what Jesus did for us on the cross.  That he loved us so much that he came down to this earth as a man and died for our sin.

If Jesus loved us so much that he was willing to do that, how can we think that he could ever stop loving us?  And how can we not believe he will deliver us now?

There’s one other thing I think we should remember.  When we rejoice even though we don’t feel like it, God takes more pleasure from that than when we worship out of our feelings of closeness to him.

What’s more, when we choose to believe in his goodness even though we can’t see it, that’s when faith truly grows.

And it’s at that point that God shows himself to us once again.

I love a song by Steven Curtis Chapman, because it captures this idea beautifully.  It says,

These are the places I was so sure I’d find him
I looked in the pages and I looked down on my knees
I lifted my eyes in expectation
To see the sun still refusing to shine,

But sometimes He comes in the clouds
Sometimes His face can not be found
Sometimes the sky is dark and gray

But some things can only be known
And sometimes our faith can only grow
When we can’t see

So sometimes he comes in the rain
And we question the pain
And wonder why God can seem so far away
But time will show us, he was right there with us.