“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”
Philippians 4:4 NASB
Take a good look at today’s picture and see if you can tell what it is. It is a for real picture I recently received via text from my daughter Bethany. There’s close to a gallon of milk and two dozen eggs on the floor because the grocery bag ripped seconds before making it to the kitchen counter. What a mess!
Bethany’s morning had not gone well. She woke up sleep deprived due to her little girls not sleeping well during the night. The cupboards were bare so it was off to the store. Once there, she discovered she had left her grocery list at home. I had been receiving texts on and off from her all morning. Then came the picture of the fiasco. Our text conversation follows:
Bethany: Jesus take me home. Out of 2 dozen eggs only 5 survived.
Me: What happened?
Bethany: The paper bag said, “Nope! Not today!” I was inches away from the counter. (frown face)
Me: Even if they are cracked you could still use them. At least soon or in baking.
Bethany: There were no cracks. They were all exploded except for five.
Can any of you relate??? If you have kids, I know you can. I hate to admit it, but I did chuckle a bit. Memories flooded my mind of similar days when raising my four children.
Now take a look at today’s Scripture verse. Rejoice . . . ALWAYS! Is that really possible? I’ll admit I fall short of that command at times. However, if you read the verse in its context, you’ll discover helps that make it easier to rejoice in the tough times. In verses 6-9, we’re encouraged to not be anxious, to lift our requests to God with thanksgiving, to dwell on the good things, and to practice the teachings of God taught to us by our spiritual leaders.
Next time you find your day not going as planned, stop and rejoice in the Lord. Give it to Him and let His peace fill you. I’m proud to say that my daughter chose to rejoice in the Lord even with milk and eggs all over the floor. Her last text said, “I made chocolate chip cookies to make the day better and praised God when they came out good!”
[Digging deeper – Ephesians 5:20. Philippians 4:4-9. 1 Thessalonians 5:16, 18]
Ever rejoicing,
Beverly <><
As the disciples return from their mission with joy and excitement, Jesus reminds them of the true reason to rejoice, “Because your names are registered in heaven.” Today let’s take a moment to pause and reflect on the gravity of our own salvation. Our names have been inscribed in the Lambs Book of Life – that alone is an incredible reason to celebrate! One day we will enter the gates of heaven and forever spend our time worshiping the King of King and Lord of Lords. Spend some time reflecting on your own personal testimony. Thank God for bringing us from death into life and reconciling us once again to Himself, and praise Him for all the incredible things we have to look forward to as heirs to His throne.
Are you feeling discouraged today? Maybe you are at the point in life where you just don’t understand why these things keep happening to you? Let’s take a minute and reflect on one of the promise that God has given us. In John 10:28 it says, “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” Doesn’t this bring peace into your life – knowing that you are a child of God and no one can pluck you out of His hand? Perhaps our reaction to situations that we go through are along the lines of “what did I do to deserve this,” or “why is this happening to me?” We must remember that God has a purpose for everything we go through. He could be saving you from something worse or teaching you a lesson that will benefit you later in life. No matter what we go through in this life, we must remember that God has promised us eternal life with Him, and that the things in this life are temporary. If God puts you in it, he will help you through it. We must rest in the wonderful truth that God will give us strength through our journey, and remember that God might let us bend, but he won’t let us break. Remember, He has our back, and we can always turn to Him for strength.