Day 4

“Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.”  —PHILIPPIANS 1:18-19

How is it conceivable that innocent men can be severely flogged, thrust into the bellows of a dungeon-like prison, put in stocks, bound in chains and be content? Actually, more than content. Paul and Silas sing, rejoice and give thanks to God in a prison cell in Philippi. What kind of mind can rejoice in such heathen justice and rise to celebrate the glory of God?

Paul later wrote to the Philippians from another prison, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Philippians 4:4. That sounds like a great thing to say when everything is going our way but what happens when our world is caving in? What happens when we simply drop our heads into our hands and wonder how we’ll ever get through this? Maybe it’s something we’ve been struggling with for a long time or perhaps it’s a fresh curve ball so fast that it caught us off guard and we’re lost in its spin. All we feel is impending loss that we know will break our hearts. We find jailors like this will seep into every corner of our lives and try to imprison us.

How did Paul find freedom while still in prison? How was he able to sing and rejoice in the midst of suffering? Did he know, at any minute, God would cause an earthquake that would loosen their shackles? Or had he grown so accustomed to persecution this was simply one more which would soon pass? There isn’t any amount of psychological methodology that can hold a candle to the divine revelation of the sufficiency of Christ within us. When Paul and Silas were thrust into that prison, so was Jesus. Through every peril, the indwelling Spirit of the risen Lord was their empowering and their victory. In chains for Christ, they rejoiced, not only because it would further their cause but they knew what was happening in them was far more important than what was happening to them.

With the indwelling Spirit of Christ, we have unlimited resources for life and joy in any and every circumstance if we avail ourselves of His presence, and count on His sufficiency. Do we believe Him and trust Him? So that we may see the glory of God at work in our lives, Jesus will, in astounding ways, bring triumph into our troubles. It is not that He takes us out of our troubles, but that we bring Him into them! Then, what’s happening in us will far surpass anything that’s happening to us.

PRAYER: Dear Father, I know that every trial we face serves to deepen our relationship with You. I rejoice knowing that your Spirit is in me and thank You for the opportunity of drawing ever closer to You.

TO REFLECT UPON: When was the last time I rejoiced in a trying situation? Was I left the better or worse for it and how?