Philippians 4:4-7

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. ⁵ Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; ⁶ do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

What is joy? Joy comes from within our hearts, it is a fruit of the Spirit, it does not depend on external causes, it is a choice, it embraces peace and contentment, it is a practice and a behavior. Unlike happiness which comes and goes depending on our situation, joy can be present in all situations. To rejoice means actively implementing joy in our hearts, and Christians are commanded to rejoice in all circumstances. Outside the Lord, everyone who pursues joy will eventually be left disappointed, because everything this world can offer is only temporary.

Paul states that it is reasonable to be joyful in the midst of difficulties; this joy in the Lord bears witness to the people around us about Jesus in us. At the time of writing this letter, Paul was in jail for spreading the Gospel. But despite persecutions, he was full of joy, and he shares his secret with us. Whenever we are anxious, we should present our wishes to God in prayers, not forgetting to give thanks to Him and acknowledge His goodness. God does not promise that He will simply fulfill our desires. He promises us something better – peace which transcends all human understanding.

This peace can only be found in Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who died on the cross in our place and was resurrected from the dead so that we, sinners, may be reconciled with God and receive everlasting life. Now we are no longer people who are doomed to death, but we are beloved children of God who have received His salvation. Therefore, in all situations we can believe that God has the best plan for us and that He fulfills all His promises in His time, “For all the promises of God are ‘Yes’ in Christ.” (2 Corinthians 1:20a)

Heavenly Father, I thank you for giving your only Son to die for me that I may receive your salvation. I acknowledge that I am weak in faith and easily become anxious. May the victory of Jesus be the source of my peace and joy so that people around me may get to know you. Amen.