Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Philippians 4:4
Joy comes from the heart, not from external situations. There is absolutely nothing that can take away the joy that Christ gives. Our world can be turned upside down, but deep inside there is a joy that can help us through the difficult times.
We read in the book of Acts where Paul and Silas demonstrated joy.
Acts 16:22-25
22. And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off
their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
23. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison,
charging the jailor to keep them safely:
24. Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made
their feet fast in the stocks.
25. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the
prisoners heard them.
Yes, you may argue, but that was the Apostle Paul that we are talking about here. He was a super saint. Oh, really! I think not! He and Silas experienced true joy in the midst of their pain. If you read the Scriptures of what the Apostle Paul experienced as a result of his faith, you will be astounded. Yet, he could sing at midnight.
God taught me a lesson some time ago about joy some time ago. I was quite ill and a number of things were happening that were not encouraging. My friend also was facing a real trial in her life at that time when I needed her and she could not be there because she was overwhelmed with her own circumstances.
One day, God brought this passage to mind and said, "Can you sing with your friend at midnight?" At that point I had to hang my head and say, "NO." However, took me on a spiritual journey to find the joy and peace that only He offers. It wasn't long until I was able to say, "Yes, I can sing at midnight with my friend." Even though both of us experienced the difficulties, we could rejoice in the fact that all was well within...and our friendship was taken to a different level.
I am not saying that it is always easy to do and it is something that I have to remember to do as well, but we can rejoice when things go wrong.
My husband sometimes will sing a little song called, "Hallelujah Anyhow!"
I do not remember all of the words but the song fits so well here.
Hallelujah Anyhow! Never never let your problems get you down.
When those troubles come my way, I lift my head up high and say,
Hallelujah anyhow!
Joy comes from within the heart of Christians who really know how to rejoice in the midst of trials. That is not always easy, but if you can get to the place where you see everything that happens to you as an opportunity to rejoice, things will look differently.
God want us to learn to practice joy...practice rejoicing. It will come naturally to you if you keep at it. It makes so much of a difference in your life. It will brighten your countenance and will be contagious to others.
Joy encourages others. Someone you know may be struggling right now. Your life is an example of what a Christian should live like.
But, you may argue, I have nothing to rejoice about. Oh, yes, you do!
- Your sins have been forgiven and you are on your way to Heaven.
- You may be poor as a church mouse, but your Father in Heaven is richer than anyone on earth. Last time I checked, He owns it all, so He is rich enough to meet your needs.
- You have something that the world does not possess. Joy. Unspeakable Joy!
- Rejoice because you are a child of the King!
Spreading joy to you today!
Thanks for reading.
Donna
No comments:
Post a Comment