“Rejoice in the Lord
always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to
everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in
everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be
made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4: 4—7
There are days when, humanly speaking, it can be difficult
to find reasons to rejoice. Chronic
pain, continuing illness, insomnia from medication… the list can be quite
impressive, especially for a cancer patient. These are often the days when we
are most likely not to want to pray. We often withdraw into ourselves and take
the burdens of the world on our own shoulders, forgetting that God is there,
waiting patiently to fill our hearts with peace and joy. As Christians, we always have a reason to rejoice. No
matter what our circumstances, we can rejoice that we are never alone, that He
will never leave us, and that He will always deliver us. If we truly believe
that God is who He says He is—and He is!—then we will rejoice at the plan He has
for our lives, as His way will always be best. If God is who He says He is,
then He will never make a bad choice for us. Surrendering our will to His can
be scary, but only if we forget who He really is. On those days when I don’t
feel like praying, it helps to be still and think about all of God’s
attributes. Reading the psalms reminds me of what He has done and what He
promises to do. As the knowledge of who He is fills my soul, I cannot help but
rejoice that I have this mighty Savior on my side. And the most amazing part is
that He actually wants to hear my requests, no matter how small or how
constantly I ask for the same things. In return for my cries and pleading, He
gives me His peace. And as the Apostle Paul, who was no stranger to suffering,
wrote, this peace of God “surpasses all understanding”. We cannot account for
it; we cannot explain how we can feel such peace in the midst of such trouble.
But it’s there. Just one more promise and provision from the One who loves us.
Thank You, Father, for
the gift of peace. Thanks to You, I can rejoice when the world is falling apart
around me. I can hand my burden to You, and I can stand tall and strong in
spite of worldly pressures. You are faithful and your goodness knows no bounds.
I pray for Your peace to fall upon those who need it today. Draw them close to
You and wrap them in Your love. Amen.
