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Theme: Stand Firm in The Lord (Rejoice)
Scripture: Philippians 4:1, Philippians 4:4, Acts 5:40-41
Scripture Reading:
• Philippians 4:1 – “Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm
thus in the Lord, my beloved.”
• Philippians 4:4 – “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice”
• Acts 5:40-41 – “And when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not
to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing
that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name”
Thought:
If you are preparing for a tournament, you need to spend time practicing. That means sometimes in situations that are not enjoyable. If you only practices on wide open courses, and when the weather is perfect, you will have some preparation, but only in ideal circumstances. If the course has rough terrain, or the weather is difficult, you will not be prepared. Practicing in all situations, good or bad, helps prepare you for all situations in the tournament, which is the pay off.
In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he had just encouraged them to strain toward the goal of the upward call of Christ (Philippians 3:14). Now Paul is giving them advice on how to stand firm in where they are in Christ. One way is to rejoice in the Lord. It does not say rejoice in good circumstances, but in the Lord, which could be good or bad situations. An example of this is Peter and the Apostles being flogged for proclaiming salvation through Jesus. This was a severe beating sometimes leading to death,. They did this despite strong opposition from the most powerful people in their community. The Apostles rejoicing despite their suffering give validity to the truth of the resurrection, since if there was anyone who would know if Christ had not been raised, it would have been them. Their willingness to endure suffering, meant they knew Christ was raised from the dead. They had eternal hope, beyond temporary suffering, which was reason to rejoice in the Lord.
When we rejoice in the Lord, especially during difficult times, it puts the situation in perspective by reminding us that God is in control. God has gotten many of us through difficult situations in the past and will again. Often times we even end up in a better place than we would have been without having gone through the stressful situation. The Lord does not always remove trials from our lives, but more often walks with us through them, which is reason to rejoice in the Lord.
Reflection 1: What are difficult circumstances in the past that the Lord got me through? How does that give me hope for the future?
Reflection 2: How can the Lord use me through my difficult circumstances to show others the hope only He can provide?
Prayer:
Lord, thank-you for all the times you have guided me through trials. I pray that by Your Holy Spirit, You will enable me to rejoice in You through all circumstances, good or bad. In Christ’s name I pray.
Amen!
Contributed by: Dean Langenhahn | PDGA #208802
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