Real Hope: Finding Hope Through the Life of PaulSample

Rejoice: I Say Rejoice

Paul’s letter to the church of Philippi says to always rejoice in the Lord. He was sharing with them wisdom and encouragement for living out their faith in Jesus and standing strong when struggles and persecution occur. The Apostle Paul was definitely the expert. He endured severe persecution for his belief in Christ and for his call to ministry, so advice from him on rejoicing during trials seems right!

The word ‘rejoice’, according to Merriam Webster Dictionary, is ‘to give joy to’ and ‘to feel joy or great delight’, while to rejoice in means to ‘have or possess’. So, the scripture conveys that to rejoice in the Lord is to have joy or delight in the Lord; to feel joy when you think of Him always. Rejoicing in all situations, especially nowadays, can be hard to do. However, God has called us to rejoice in Him always (not our circumstances) – knowing we are loved and cared for by an eternal God. And that we need to always be looking to God for hope and encouragement, trusting that God will provide for our needs when no one else can.

Prayer

Dear God, thank you for loving us and looking after our needs. You know what’s ahead for us and how to direct our steps to keep us on track. It’s not always easy to rejoice and remain hopeful in You when challenges and circumstances arise, but we choose to remember the times we’ve been in similar situations and how You were there for us and blessed us more than we could have imagined. That’s because You know what we need before we ask. You know our heartaches before we feel them, and You know our joys before we enjoy them. You know what will grow us the most to be all we can be in Your eyes. So, let us rejoice as we offer You our prayers, knowing that You will answer them when we least expect it. In Jesus’ name.

Written by HEIDI WYSMAN

Want more? Check out the Real Hope Conversations Podcast and listen as we delve further into Finding Hope Through the Life of Paul with Heidi Wysman. Available wherever you listen to podcasts.