God rewrites our broken chapters with hands that know how to mend hearts. The parts of our stories that feel too heavy to revisit. The moments we thought would be our undoing. He enters into those places not with judgment, but with mercy. Not with condemnation, but with comfort. God does not shy away from our mess. He steps into it with love and begins the work of making all things new.
God Is Not Finished Writing
He Is At Your Right Hand
Every time you face a new experience, you should turn to Christ for His interpretation and strength. When people insult you and mistreat you, you should seek direction from your Counselor regarding the right response. When you face a crisis, you should receive strength from the One at your right hand. When you experience need, you should consult your Counselor before you react. When you face a fearful situation, you should take courage from the Advocate at your right hand. Everything you do is in the context of your relationship to Christ.
- Excerpt from “Experiencing God Day-By-Day” by Henry and Richard Blackaby
Jesus Wants You To Know...
"At times you feel so weak and tired that you just don’t know if you have the energy to keep going. You feel like the flame of a candle that is flickering and about to burn out. Perhaps you think about coming to Me, but you are afraid I will demand something else of you. And you are just so tired. Or perhaps you worry that I will see your weakness as a lack of faith. So you avoid Me. It’s okay to be tired. It’s okay to be weak. I understand how difficult things have been. I don’t want to judge you. I just want to wrap you up in My everlasting arms and let you rest."
Bitterness
Bitterness is easy to justify. You can get so used to a bitter heart that you are even comfortable with it, but it will destroy you. Only God is fully aware of its destructive potential. There is nothing so deeply imbedded in your heart that God's grace cannot reach down and remove it. No area in your life is so painful that God's grace cannot bring total healing. No offense committed against you is so heinous that God's love cannot enable you to forgive.
When you allow bitterness to grow in your life, you reject the grace of God that can free you. If you are honest before God, you will admit the bitterness and allow God to forgive you. Bitterness enslaves you, but God is prepared to remove your bitterness and replace it with His peace and joy.
- Excerpt from “Experiencing God Day-By-Day” by Henry and Richard Blackaby
Sermon: "The Contentment Commandments"
1. Thou shalt rejoice
2. Thou shalt not resent3. Thou shalt appreciate all seasons4. Thou shalt keep a secret stash5. Thou shalt not confuse the supply with the source6. Thou shalt not downplay disappointment7. Thou shalt recognize8. Thou shalt release9. Thou shalt receive
10. Thou shalt remain
I Repeat: Rejoice!
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. - Philippians 4:4
Reflect:
Where do you try to find joy in your life? Where does Paul say joy can always be found?
There are so many things to enjoy in this life. God has blessed us to be sure! But have you ever noticed how some of our very favorite things let us down? For example, I really enjoy watching Husker football. But if I looked solely to Husker wins for the source of my joy, I’d be depressed right about now. I also really enjoy a nice steak dinner. But all it takes is for the chef to overcook it and I’m disappointed. I enjoy my family more than any other earthly thing but sometimes my wife and I get in disagreements or my kids don’t obey. I can’t count on other people, even my family, to be a constant source of joy.
But in today’s verse, Paul repeats one the most important themes of his letter to Philippians. He reminds the Philippians to rejoice! But not in just anything. He reminds them to rejoice in the Lord. Not just when things are going well for them either. He says to rejoice in the Lord always. It was so important for him to get his point across that he even repeated it again!
Paul knew that in order for the Philippians to stand firm in their faith, they needed to have their joy rooted in the right place. Otherwise, once they faced trials and tribulations, they would fall away. And they would face trials. Paul knew this firsthand. And yet, Paul remained full of joy. This joy wasn’t a superficial happiness. He wasn’t slapping on a fake smile throughout his imprisonment. This was a deep abiding joy that enabled him to endure even the worst suffering because his joy was in the Lord and his hope was in the promises He had made.
In Romans 12:12, Paul said: “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” How could he say this? “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). He had set his eyes on Jesus Christ and compared to Him and His glory, the troubles of this world seemed small in comparison.
All of the good things on earth are still just that - earthly things. They are temporary and imperfect. If you are counting on your health, wealth, family, friends, possessions, career, etc. to be the source of your joy, you are setting yourself up for disappointment and heartache. But if your joy is rooted in the Lord and the future hope of His promises, you will remain steadfast. So rejoice! I repeat: rejoice! But not in the things of this earth. Rejoice only and always in Him.
Pray:
Lord, You alone are my constant source of joy. I know that everything else I enjoy will eventually let me down. But if my hope is in You and Your promises, I will always have a reason to rejoice. Amen.
- Nat Crawford (Provided by "Back To The Bible")
Choose To Rejoice
and the prisoners were listening to them.
[Acts 16:25-34]
- Excerpt from “Experiencing God Day-By-Day” by Henry and Richard Blackaby
Jesus Wants You To Know...
- "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young
God's Way Is Always Better
Sometimes God takes you on a journey you did not ask for. A path you never expected. A route that feels like a detour but is actually the way. You may find yourself confused or frustrated because it does not look like what you had hoped. You might be praying for something specific while God is allowing something very different. But here is the truth. What you want is not always what you need.