03/10
Rejoice in the Lord!
AN ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE
TRUE NORTH STAFF MEMBER
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:4-7 NIV
This portion of scripture always messes with me. It’s one I memorized as a child. I became familiar with the words, I would repeat it in my head when I was anxious. But there is so much more in these few verses than just quieting your anxious thoughts. The more I grow with my walk with God the deeper these words impact my spirit. When I went through my miscarriage I didn’t feel like rejoicing. Honestly, I was kind of angry; angry at who or what I couldn’t really tell you. God, you want me to rejoice right now, in my anger, sadness and physical pain? Well God answered my question right away by reminding me, “I will say it again, rejoice!” What I realized is you’re not rejoicing in your situation or your sadness. You’re rejoicing in the Lord! God has been teaching me over the past few years that He really is good (it’s not just a churchy saying). He is good even when everything else is bad. He is near to me in every good and or difficult season.
Psalms 34:18 says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” He is close to you right now, in the middle of your loss. He hasn’t turned away from you, He sees you. So pray! Prayer isn’t just a list of things you need from God, prayer is telling him you're hurting, telling him you don’t understand, prayer is a conversation. Although, this verse does say present your request, it instructs us to do so with thanksgiving. You can be heartbroken, confused, saddened and you can rejoice with a thankful heart. How? Focus on the goodness of God. Thank Him for all that he’s blessed you with. Thank Him for loving you. After you have a good, honest conversation with your Savoir, along with a thankful heart, what comes next? The peace of God. There is nothing comparable to the peace of God. The peace of God makes no earthly sense. It covers you no matter how hard, scary, or sad the situation is. It carries you through things you didn’t think you could handle. So, in this season, know that your heart is capable of simultaneously carrying sorrow and thankfulness. You can mourn what you had dreamed life would be with your child that you won’t get to meet on this side of eternity, but rejoice in knowing that God has good plans for your future. Rejoice in knowing God is near.
Philippians 4:4-7 NIV
This portion of scripture always messes with me. It’s one I memorized as a child. I became familiar with the words, I would repeat it in my head when I was anxious. But there is so much more in these few verses than just quieting your anxious thoughts. The more I grow with my walk with God the deeper these words impact my spirit. When I went through my miscarriage I didn’t feel like rejoicing. Honestly, I was kind of angry; angry at who or what I couldn’t really tell you. God, you want me to rejoice right now, in my anger, sadness and physical pain? Well God answered my question right away by reminding me, “I will say it again, rejoice!” What I realized is you’re not rejoicing in your situation or your sadness. You’re rejoicing in the Lord! God has been teaching me over the past few years that He really is good (it’s not just a churchy saying). He is good even when everything else is bad. He is near to me in every good and or difficult season.
Psalms 34:18 says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” He is close to you right now, in the middle of your loss. He hasn’t turned away from you, He sees you. So pray! Prayer isn’t just a list of things you need from God, prayer is telling him you're hurting, telling him you don’t understand, prayer is a conversation. Although, this verse does say present your request, it instructs us to do so with thanksgiving. You can be heartbroken, confused, saddened and you can rejoice with a thankful heart. How? Focus on the goodness of God. Thank Him for all that he’s blessed you with. Thank Him for loving you. After you have a good, honest conversation with your Savoir, along with a thankful heart, what comes next? The peace of God. There is nothing comparable to the peace of God. The peace of God makes no earthly sense. It covers you no matter how hard, scary, or sad the situation is. It carries you through things you didn’t think you could handle. So, in this season, know that your heart is capable of simultaneously carrying sorrow and thankfulness. You can mourn what you had dreamed life would be with your child that you won’t get to meet on this side of eternity, but rejoice in knowing that God has good plans for your future. Rejoice in knowing God is near.
BIBLE READING PLAN
Check out this 5 day bible plan below as we focus on how thankfulness can transform us in every season of our lives.