"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice" (Philippians 4:4).

We are to be "full of joy in the Lord" (Phil. 4:4). If we know how to do that, we won't be depressed by our circumstances. We are not told to rejoice about the tragedies of life, but we are encouraged to rejoice in the Lord when hard times come. He promises to comfort us when we are mistreated and to help us to bravely endure when we suffer. We will be able to survive our circumstances with His help because He has already survived His circumstances as the God-man, Jesus of Nazareth. In Christ we have available to us all the support of heaven. 

We are to rejoice in our relationship with Him always. That doesn't mean just when the sun is shining; it means when it rains, hails, snows, and even if a tornado hits our life! Always means "always."

Joy is the badge of the believers. Paul, writing from his prison cell, emphasized the inability of circumstances to stifle his enjoyment of the Lord. "Be full of joy," he exhorted the beloved Philippian believers, "I say it again—rejoice!" (Phil. 4:4). When we can't praise Him for what He has allowed, we can thank Him for who He is in the midst of what He has allowed! This does not mean that we do not mourn with those who mourn, but it does mean that we point discouraged people to Jesus—the source of joy.

PRAYER

Lord, I will trust and praise you always, for you alone O LORD hold me in the security of your arms. Your outstretched hands that bear the scars you bore on my behalf bid me to come. I no longer have to be alone, scared or without hope. You are my hope in this world of broken places. Neither storm nor sorrow can keep me from praising your name. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken”( Ps. 62:2). Jesus, be my continual source of joy no matter what is going in my life today. Amen.