June 25
Rejoicing in Christ
Philippians 4:4-18
Key Verse: Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Philippians 4:4
What brings great joy to you? There are some things that do, and some that don't.
I enjoy watching Auburn University play football, especially when they win. I even like
basketball, baseball, and track.
I like high school sports, especially football. It is great fun to serve as the chaplain for the
Opelika High School football team.
I enjoy good food, especially steak, fish, fruit, ice cream, anything chocolate. I like to eat
with people at church. After all, Jesus ate with sinners.
It is fun to relax at the beach and watch the waves roll in from the Gulf. But I like the
mountains even more, especially the fall of the year when the colors of the leaves are
changing.
I like to travel. My wife and I have been around the world. We have walked where Jesus walked
in the Holy Land. We have flown by the Alps, ridden a dog sled in Alaska, admired the colorful
birds and flora in Costa Rica, and visited the magnificent Taj Mahal.
We have enjoyed sight-seeing in England, France, Germany, Austria, Japan, Korea, Singapore,
Malaysia, Switzerland, Nepal, India, and Argentina. And I must admit that I was thrilled to
have the privilege of seeing so much of this incredible world of ours.
I invite you to notice that in all of the above I did not once use the word "love." I am
trying to reserve the use of that word for one purpose only -- to describe the way I feel about
our Lord Jesus Christ, my family, and my Christian friends.
While it is all right to like football, a dog, a truck, or any of these other things that bring
me happiness, I want to save the word "love" for the One who has brought joy, deep, abiding
joy, into my life. When I have been crushed by defeat, embarrassed by my sins, perplexed by
tragedy, it was Jesus alone who restored by joy and renewed my hope for tomorrow.
So, because that joy is so precious to me, and I trust to you also, I say with Paul: Rejoice