Give Thanks...

Philippians 4:4-13 (Click on reference to read text)

My family and I walked into our home Monday night to discover water pouring from the ceiling of our kitchen, and our daughter's upstairs bedroom closet soaking wet. A few hours, and what will soon be several thousand dollars later, we have a hole in our kitchen ceiling, a hole in our daughter's floor, an insurance claim, a furnace that needs to be replaced, and a leak in our roof we discovered haphazardly through this entire process. As my home has become a construction site, I ponder Paul's words... Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS!

It is nearly impossible for the fleshly mind to comprehend how Paul could say this. He was sitting in a prison and not out doing what he felt the Lord had called him to do, yet we find him not only rejoicing, but admonishing others to do the same. He truly believed what He wrote, "God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love God" (Romans 8:28). He intimately knew the Father. He knew that our loving Father is out to bless and protect. However, Paul also knew that the Lord was more concerned about eternity than our present comfort.

So what was there to rejoice about? Thanks to Paul's prison sentence, we have the New Testament. Most of the New Testament was written by Paul while he was in prison. You see, although Paul was seemingly being held back from his mission, to proclaim the gospel to the known world, God actually used this time so that Paul could proclaim the Gospel to all the world for centuries to come.

God's plans are perfect. We must cling to Him and His promises and CHOOSE to believe in His faithfulness, period! No matter what our present circumstances dictate. Paul could have easily given into his circumstances and wasted this time in prison. However, he allowed God to use him even though he was held captive. What situations are you in? Are you bemoaning your circumstance and having a pity party, or are you asking yourself what the Lord would have you do in the midst of this trying time?

I have plenty to rejoice about. A house can be repaired, but the peace that God is giving me in the midst of this situation is priceless. He has shown me His awesome faithfulness. You see, we had just come home from being out of town for a week. We were able to minimize the damage because we were home and stopped it before it was worse. A house is just a shell, but building a home of the foundation of Jesus Christ is what is truly important. So let us learn from Paul: rejoice in the Lord (vs.4), be anxious for nothing (vs. 6), pray with thanksgiving in the midst of your circumstance (vs.6), let God's peace guard your heart (vs. 7), focus/dwell on the good things (vs. 8), find contentment in Him (vs. 12), for we can do all things through Him who gives us strength (vs. 13)!