One of the things I love about my daughter is that every morning she wakes up smiling at us. It doesn’t matter if she’s tired or teething, she finds reason to rejoice in a new day. And looking at her, it makes it hard for me not to rejoice as well.
I hope this rejoicing is something that is always characteristic of Sophie. As a father, I certainly want to do everything to make sure that she has ample reason to rejoice always. But there are things that are outside the realm of my control. Indeed there are a great many things outside the realm of control of each of us!
Much of what we feel when we see the circumstances surrounding us is panic. The future that we are walking into is uncertain at best; many would say grim. What are we to do? What should our response be?
David was a man plagued by enemies and trials. Many times his life was in danger. All of these situations taught him where to go. In Psalm 39:7 he said, “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.” (ESV) He knew that he would find no other sure refuge in times of uncertainty than in His God. And likewise we have no other place to go than to wait upon our loving God. He is loving, He is all-powerful, and He can handle whatever it is that keeps us up at night.
Likewise Paul was a man who had his share of hardship. He was wrongfully jailed several times and ended up a martyr. Yet from his cell he said, “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:11-13, ESV) If God was strengthening Paul in prison, He is more than able to strengthen us in our present circumstances. We, like Paul, can be content. And more than that, we can rejoice. Paul, in this same letter states: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” (Phil 4:4, ESV) This man in prison isn’t just suggesting that we rejoice, he is commanding it. It is scripture.
If we can just keep our eyes on Jesus, wait and hope in Him, and rejoice in all of our blessings (they are many, if we stop to think about them), we, like Paul, can be content and rest easy in the fact that God has everything under control.
