ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (MAY 23, 2012)

Rejoice Always!

Philippians 4:1-8



"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"
(PHILIPPIANS 4:4)

My wife recently went to Zambia where she visited the Hope Ministry orphanage, school and church. She was impressed by the happy dispositions of the children, young in faith and vibrant in their love of the Lord. Most of their parents have died from AIDS, but through love and commitment, the orphaned children have been brought to faith in Christ. You would be moved to observe their joy in what little they have, their readiness to offer love to each other, and their desire to celebrate their faith through their church and village friendships. Christ is evident in them!

Listening to my wife's stories prompts me to view my present circumstances in light of the eternal promises of God. You and I, too, are His works in progress which He will complete one day. Meanwhile, being confident of who we are in Him, we can respond to life with joy and prayer instead of worry and fear. Those children in Zambia have basically "nothing," yet they live in the tender love of the Savior and possess "everything." So do we!

INSIGHT
WE MUST WALK BY FAITH, FIXING OUR EYES ON JESUS UNTIL WE SEE HIM FACE TO FACE.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
1 Chronicles 18-19
Psalm 2
Matthew 1-2
Philippians 4:1-8
New Living Translation (NLT)
4 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters,[a] stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work.
Words of Encouragement
2 Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. 3 And I ask you, my true partner,[b] to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life.
4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Footnotes:
a. Philippians 4:1 Greek brothers; also in 4:8.
b. Philippians 4:3 Or loyal Syzygus.

CHRISTIANS YOU SHOULD KNOW - JONATHAN EDWARDS

You probably know his name, but do you know how God used him? Jonathan Edwards helped change the course of history by telling people about Jesus.