Rejoice in the Lord Always

Paul writes the book of Philippians from prison. He has no assurance that he will survive this imprisonment. He is confined because he has spent many years preaching the Lord Jesus Christ. Now he tells us to rejoice in the Lord. Paul is demonstrating tremendous personal discipline. Although he suffers according to God’s will, he continues to serve and trust God. Not only is he teaching us to have God’s peace and the God of peace himself, Paul is living this discipline. One goal of faith is to have self-control. No matter the anxiety we are experiencing we are to find peace through faith in God’s sovereign rule over everything.

The command to rejoice in the Lord does not say that we are happy for whatever difficulty we face, but we are happy that we know that God is working his perfect plan and we can trust him fully. As the song says “Those who trust him wholly, find him wholly true.” “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” (Is. 26:3) This great verse describes the believer’s mind as having a firm hold on God. When you stay your mind to God you are secure. On a ship the mast is stayed firmly so that it withstands the gale-force winds. If your mind is blown by the winds, check your stays.

The powerful mental attitude words of Philippians all fit together. Here is a sample of these words: joy, peace, glory in Christ, and contentment. Paul is living and teaching a lifestyle of personal self-control in actual dependence on the Lord of all. These mental attitudes are the stays to hold us up in the storms. How can we do this? “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13)

The power of this faith is demonstrated by CONFIDENCE. Paul says we are citizens of heaven. Nothing that happens to us here can touch that! From heaven we “await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” (Phil. 3:20 & 21) Like Paul we will most likely die in weakness here on this earth. But we can even be positive even facing this possibility. A Savior will transform our lowly bodies. No problem!

Paul closes his letter to the Philippians with this demonstration of CONFIDENCE. “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4: 19) As Jesus taught, God provides for the birds and the lilies; we must trust his provision for us. He has infinite riches to draw upon. Trust him!

Dear friends, are you growing in your actual trust in God. If you claim that Christ is your Savior, do you demonstrate CONFIDENCE in him? How is your joy, peace and contentment?