Laugh with God
ICS Daily Devotions
Philippians 4:4 (NKJV) Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
There is always a choice in every situation. Even though the initial reaction to every bad experience and situation might be anger, frustration, and sadness, we need not stay in these emotions for a prolonged period. The Apostle Paul asked us to rejoice in the Lord always, and again rejoice. Every challenge that we face in life is an opportunity for us to exercise our faith in God, and to see and experience His faithfulness.
We are thankful that we can seek His counsel, opinion, and wisdom in dire situations. We are not alone in any situation, for Emmanuel is God with us. He is for us and not against us, and nothing that can separate us from God’s love from now until eternity. God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. He is the Creator of all things and all flesh. Therefore, there is nothing too difficult for Him. God is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End.
The joy of the Lord and the constant ability to rejoice in all circumstances should be the trademark of every Christian.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NKJV) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
Many of us are familiar with the above passage, but Beth Jones wrote in her book “UP: Writing A New Chapter Of Joy And Laughter” wrote: “If you read this passage from the bottom up, notice that everything begins with a thought and then moves into an argument or a high thing that is set against the knowledge of God. And finally, that thought moves into a stronghold…. The good news is that this sequence will work to establish a stronghold of joy in our lives in the same way. For example, if we take a thought of joy and let it become an argument or imagination that agrees with God’s Word, we can argue for this truth and imagine ourselves full of joy. Then as we continue to do this, in time, joy will become a stronghold in our lives!”
Psalm 37:13 (NKJV) The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming.
We might see a hard place and a difficult situation, but God can see the end from the beginning. Therefore He knows what is ahead of us, and He is laughing in heaven about the situation which we can’t see through. Let us see by faith that it will have a good end, especially when God has given us His Word of assurance during our quiet moments with Him. Let us rejoice and join Him in laughter!
Sermon Series: Up! Cell Group Campaign
