Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! —Philippians 4:4
You may just be coming through a period that was hard. Maybe this new day or new month greeted you with a major trial. I think it’s fair to say that our first reaction to difficulties and challenges is not to be joyous. But God’s Word is filled with commands and encouragements for us to rejoice always (Phil. 4:4; 1 Thess. 5:16).
Here’s one reason that I’ve learned for why we can and should receive trials with a joyous spirit: because God’s Word says so (James 1:2). To embrace the challenges and trials in our lives is an act of obedience. Likewise, to grumble, complain, and war against them is an act of disobedience. One way the enemy steals our joy is by tempting us to disobey the Giver of joy!
The first step is to “face” the trial. We don’t have to understand what God is doing, agree with it, or see how it will end to embrace it with joy. In fact, trusting the Lord means saying, “Yes, Lord,” and knowing He has a plan (Jer. 29:11).
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“Choose Joy in the Difficult Journey” (ReviveOurHearts.com/blog)
Scripture taken from The CSB
Make it Personal
How could you receive the trials of today with joy rather than grumbling or complaining?