TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4

Read: Philippians 4:4-5

Listen: Philippians 4

TODAY'S MESSAGE

"Rejoice," Paul repeats for emphasis. It is a command, and he tells the Philippians they need to do this.

Joy isn’t a feel-good thing. If joy is circumstantial, the Philippians would never get it. Joy is a focus on the generosity of God that expresses itself through gratitude and praise even in seasons of extreme pain and deep disappointment.  Real joy needs to be found in God and is rooted in Jesus.

But we need to make the right heart decisions to consistently find joy. The first is to focus on God’s goodness. God’s goodness is more than being thankful for the physical blessings God gives us. His goodness is rooted in the person of Jesus that recasts our challenges and difficulties into the proper perspective. When we focus on God’s goodness—we rejoice in his wisdom, justice, knowledge, love, grace and mercy. We rejoice that our eternal life is secure and that he has given us his Holy Spirit. This is where we find our joy.

When we make this heart decision, we find joy in something that will not change and cannot be taken away.

IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY

Today, think about who God is and what he has done for you. On page 46 of your Philippians: Choosing Joy Under Pressure journal, write: God’s Goodness and underline it. Then create a list of things to help you focus on God’s goodness. As you pursue the heart decision of focusing on God’s goodness, return to the list, again and again, to reflect on it and add to it to remind yourself that you don’t have to live in anxiety anymore.

Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.