Philippians 4 – Friday
“TGIF”. Most people in our culture seem to only be happy when they are NOT working, when their weekend has started, or it is their day off. They long for the precious moments where they are not bound to the clock. It’s in our pop culture. Whether it is some teen-idol that is singing about what happened last Friday or whether we are all working for the weekend, many people think happiness is a 3-day-a-week affair. As Christians, maybe we think life is pretty dull until Sunday rolls around. That is the day where I get to be happy.
However, that’s not what Paul wants for the Philippians. He says “Rejoice in the Lord, always!” It is a command. “REJOICE!” Maybe we think it’s a little strange for Paul to give a command to rejoice. “You better rejoice or else!” But that is not his point at all. Paul knows that if we truly understand the gospel we would see it for what it is… good news!
Look at what is said in the following verses.
The Lord is near.(4:5) Christ is coming soon to reward those whom he has saved. That is cause to rejoice!
God hears your prayers and supplications. (4:6) God is near and cares for our needs. That is cause to rejoice!
God will give us peace to protect our hearts and mind in the middle of trouble. (4:7) That is cause to rejoice!
The peace of God will be with us because the God of peace will be with us (4:9). That is cause to rejoice!
When you focus on the true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, reputably good, excellent, and praiseworthy, you are dwelling on good things that come from a good God. Every one of them is a cause to rejoice!
God is not a God of sorrow and somberness at all times. It is true he is a serious God. We should never take him flippantly or lightly, and he calls sins out when and where he sees them. But he is a God of joy, gladness, drinking deeply in the good things of this world. He rests in a world that he called very good. (Genesis 1). Therefore, God wants his creatures to rejoice to the praise of his glory.
May this shorter devotion push you to praise God today, my brothers and sisters.
May you focus on the true and good things, and may they cause you to rejoice.
May you rejoice in the God of peace.
May you rejoice that the Lord is near.
May you rejoice, always. Again I will say it, rejoice!
-Jake Ballard
Read or listen to today’s Bible reading passages at BibleGateway.com here – Isaiah 15-16 and Colossians 1 (Devotions are focusing on joy/Philippians this week, but charge on with your reading.)
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