Rejoice In The Lord Always
BRD REFLECTIONS:
Philippians 4 and Psalm 72 (NIV)
(Foo Yu Da, Chairperson, Witness and Evangelism)
READ
Philippians 4:4-9 (NIV)
OBSERVE:
Paul’s final exhortation in this letter seems to be the most important message he wants us to takeaway:
- “Rejoice in the Lord always” (v4)
- “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God”, (v6)
- “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”. (v7)
Rejoicing in the Lord and prayer are fundamental in helping take away our anxiety, and giving us the peace which guards our hearts and minds in Jesus Christ. This is seemingly simple advice, yet, why is it so difficult to experience? It is likely because I have not been rejoicing in the Lord nor presenting my prayers and petitions to Him with thanksgiving. If I can regularly connect with God in this manner, I will be able to experience the promised peace in the Lord.
APPLY:
Rejoicing can be difficult in the stressful work environment I constantly find myself trapped in. This is especially so when I find myself trying to solve problems all by myself. This passage tells me that my anxiety can be taken away if I offer my prayers and requests to God. God is so much bigger than me and everything I have is from Him. And if God has placed me where I am, all I need to do is to abide in Him and discover the joy and peace that can come out of seemingly stressful situations.
DO:
It is easy to get lost in the busyness of each day, finding myself fighting battles in my own strength. I need to constantly remind myself to offer my prayers to God throughout the day to seek His strength, wisdom and guidance.
PRAY:
Dear Father in heaven, I thank you for your reminder that we can indeed rejoice and enjoy peace in You and in You only. I submit my challenges to you, praying for a daily encounter with You and to draw strength and encouragement from you. Amen.
