THE LETTER J
Born in Joy
The letter to the Philippians is the book of joy, maybe that is because it was born out of Joy.
Just imagine the scene:
It’s late at night in a dark prison and suddenly two prisoners who had been wrongly arrested, beaten, arrive at the prison, they are guarded by a savage and mean prison guard, who lived in constant fear and paranoia.
It’s after midnight and the prisoners want to sleep, but suddenly these two new prisoners start singing and it’s not any singing, they are thanking and praising God.
You see my friends, joy is supernatural, it is not just being happy, you are happy because of your circumstances, not in spite of them.
Paul and Silas were in the most dire of circumstances, stuck in the middle of a dirty rotten prison, but they had supernatural joy.
Well over ten times in this short epistle is joy or rejoice mentioned, this was a church born out of joy and birthed in Joy.
Love is the glue that binds the church together, but joy is the outflow of that love.
People cannot understand, why believers who are going through the deepest hurt and pain, can have this supernatural joy.
Paul says in Chapter 4 that there is peace that passes understanding for the Christian when we come to God in prayer and that is so true.
Peter says in his first epistle chapter 4 these words:
12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
Peter also says these incredible words in 1 Peter Chapter 1
8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
Jesus said out of your belly, would flow rivers of living waters, we have incredible, unspeakably glorious joy, that will enable us to overcome any circumstance and any obstacle.
Are you a joyful Christian?
I echo the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians chapter 4:
Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say Rejoice
So needful that Paul had to repeat himself.
God bless you
KK