Verse for the week of December 13th:
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
(Philippians 4:4)
Whenever I read these words from St. Paul, I am always amazed. What I am amazed about is that these words are written while St. Paul was a prisoner. It is almost universally accepted that St. Paul wrote these words from a prison (or at least under house arrest) most likely in Rome.
Think about it! Here it is that St. Paul is being watched by guards and his movements restricted, yet he proclaims ‘Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say Rejoice.’ What a strong and profound faith—that he trust in the Lord and was able to give thanks and rejoice even under circumstances that are less than ideal.
Sometimes in our own lives, it is easy to get down and become frustrated because our life doesn’t seem to go the way we what it to go. Some people even question where God is at because of terrible things that occur within their lives. St. Paul is standing up as a pillar of the faith and proclaiming to all people that no matter what happens, no matter what events occur in our lives, and no matter whether things go the way we would like them to or not—we still need to be thankful to God and rejoice in the Lord at all times!
Even while St. Paul is encouraging all people to rejoice in the Lord always, this does not necessarily mean that we are to be happy at all times. Rejoicing in the Lord is not necessarily the same thing as simply being happy. To rejoice in the Lord to me is more of giving thanks to the Lord for all things and at all times. For it is possible to rejoice in the Lord and have the joy of God in our hearts even amid times of profound grief or troubling times.
How do you experience this joy in your life? How do you rejoice in the Lord always?
I’ve had a lot of people come and talk to me about my job situation recently. The initial reaction by most was to feel sorry for me. I got asked if I was going to be okay or if I had any idea what I was going to do next. By the end of the conversation, however, the mood always changes to encouragement and support. The support not only comes from my friends and family, it also comes from the congregation, colleagues, and patients.
I’ve also had a lot of time to reflect on my situation. I didn’t know the history of Paul’s circumstances, and while mine aren’t nearly as bad, I can relate. I’m not happy to be unemployed, especially the way it happened. But when I step back and really look at what God has shown me, I feel blessed to be in this situation. The outpouring of support and hope I’ve received has been a truly awesome experience. I give thanks to be where I am and to have so many wonderful people in my life.
There is a framed photograph adjacent to our computer screen. Every time I sit at the desk I see this photograph, and as I contemplate the verse in Pastor’s reflection today I see an analogy in the photograph.
The photo was taken by a friend attending a retreat at Camp Pyoca, which Matt and I attended, too. It was a rainy, cold, early November day that couldn’t be described as anything but UGLY and depressing. It was the kind of day no one would choose to go outside. But we had to tromp from building to building in the pouring rain over the muddy, water-soaked paths.
In the photo is an old chapel with a cross protruding several feet into the gray sky. In the foreground of the photo is a large area of standing water, a mudhole which we had to avoid on our way to the chapel.
But what a person might miss upon seeing the photo, is that in the water of the mudhole is a perfect reflection of the cross on the chapel.
This reminds me that God is with us all of the time, even in the mudholes of life, even in the common annoyances that can accumulate day after day and eventually wear us down.
But if we search for His presence, we will always find reason to REJOICE!