Yes! There is Good News! 8.5.2017

And so, yes, it is true, there is good news today! But do we sometimes lose sight of that fact? I believe we are all prone to being overwhelmed by the cares and worries of this life and sometimes it feels that joy has not been abiding with us. The loss of a loved one is perhaps the greatest cause of grief in one’s life. I suppose one may find a list of the top ten reasons for the loss of joy and I would surmise that they would all contain the word “loss.” Loss of job, home, self esteem, health etc, I am sure you could fill in the blanks from your life.
The truth is, God is not a God of sorrow, nor has He called us to a life of sorrow. So how do we get over the feeling that the walls are closing in on us? How do we survive when we feel that tomorrow will only bring us more of the tears of today?

The short and easy answer here is to say that we must pray and read the word of God. But what should we pray about and where in God’s word should we begin reading? May I humbly suggest that we begin with the letter of Paul to the Philippians. In chapter 4 verse 4 we read, “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 everything, 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.”

Let’s take a closer look at this statement. “Rejoice in the Lord always.” The word “rejoice” is the direct antithesis to the words “sorrow” or “grief.” Paul is here telling us to turn our focus completely around. He understands that it is fully within our capacity to accomplish this but he doesn’t just leave us wonder how to do it, He lets us know that we are to do this “in the Lord.” In other words, we are to do this with God’s help. God knows our hearts. He knows our deepest needs. He understands that sometimes we just hurt! Think of it this way: When Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane, we are told He was filled with inner grief and sorrow. He said, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” The heavenly Father looked down and saw His Son, His only Son, whom He loved and we are told in the book of Luke 22:43 that He sent an angel: “An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him.” Yes, God will strengthen us in our time of need also. And yet that is not all; Paul tells us to rejoice “always.”

“I will say it again: Rejoice!” Paul wants us to know the truth of his statement and so repeats it. And then Paul lets us know that if we need God’s help in our striving to rejoice, we should not show any harshness, but we should “let our gentleness be evident to all.” This is an important ingredient to the answer.

And so we shall, God willing, talk more on this subject next time!