Rejoice and Join God in Laughter!
ICS Daily Devotions
Philippians 4:7-8 (NKJV) and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
The key to keeping God’s peace in our hearts and minds is meditating on God’s Word. We also need to be vigilant in guarding our thought life against anything that could lead us into depression. God’s peace will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus as we meditate on His Word, especially His promises.
God’s peace is very different from the peace that comes from the world, which is subject to circumstances. The origin of this peace is God, who dwells in our hearts. However, there is another kind of peace that guards our minds, because the mind is the last frontier. Therefore, we are to take charge of our thought life so that we will keep the peace in our minds. Our minds will have perfect peace when we stay focused on God by trusting Him rather than being affected by circumstances. Worship helps us keep our minds on God because it reminds us of God’s greatness.
Philippians 4:4 (NKJV) Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
There is always a choice in every situation. The initial reaction to any bad experience or situation may be anger, frustration, and sadness. However, 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 God’s faithfulness.
Psalm 37:13 (NKJV) The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming.
We should be thankful that we can seek God’s counsel, opinion, and wisdom in a dire situation. We are not alone in any situation. God is with us; He is for us and not against us, and there is nothing that can separate us from God’s love from now to eternity. God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. There is nothing too difficult for Him. He is the creator of all things and all flesh. God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He can see the end from the beginning. Therefore, He knows what is ahead of us. He is laughing in heaven about our situation, despite how we feel now. We might face a difficult situation, but let us see it through the lens of faith, knowing it will have a good end, especially when God has given us His Word of assurance during our quiet moment with Him. Let us rejoice and join Him in laughter!
Reflection: How does knowing that God is all-powerful encourage you today? What problems do you need to entrust to Him so you can join Him in laughter?
Sermon Series： 2026 CG Campaign — Up Part 3
