Discovering joy in the middle of it all

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Living with joy”

Our Bible verse for today: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:2 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Discovering joy in the middle of it all”

We cannot consider the theme of living with joy without doing a deep dive into the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Philippians is known as “the epistle of joy.” Epistle is an old-fashioned word for “letter” and so Philippians can also be described as Paul’s letter of joy. Of all the books in the New Testament, Philippians is my second favorite. The Gospel of John is my favorite but Philippians is a close second. This letter of joy is just so joyful!

We can tell what Paul has in store for us just from verse two of chapter one. He wants us to experience God’s grace and peace in increased measure despite our circumstances (Paul wrote this letter as a sick old man sitting in a Roman prison and probably close to death.) The primary lesson Paul will teach us in Philippians is that God brings grace and peace in the middle of trials and struggles.

That’s the great truth for life as a Christian. There are plenty of times when the sun is shining and the birds are singing – we are safe, secure, happy, and the future looks good. During times like that we get to experience joy and peace. But life isn’t always like that. There are also lots of times when we struggle through difficult circumstances and painful situations. But joy can also be discovered, experienced, and appreciated during times of sorrow and struggle too.

For instance, at a funeral we have great sorrow because our loved one is gone, but we can also have joy in knowing that the person is in heaven. During a time of sickness, even while lying in a hospital bed, we can be struggling with the pain, discomfort, and uncertainty of the sickness, but we can also have an overwhelming awareness of God’s presence there with us. We can experience the joy of close fellowship with Him as we’re going through that. During a time of unexpected unemployment, as we’re trying to make ends meet and we’re wondering how we’re going to pay the rent, we can also learn the truth that God is the God of all provision and we can experience joy as He comes through for us time and time again.

True joy runs deep and flows from the confident assurance that we are never out of God’s loving embrace or His sovereign control. Regardless of your current situation in life you can find true joy in Christ. That’s the message of Philippians. It’s about discovering joy in the middle of it all.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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