Devo: "Joy and Adversities!"

Joy and Adversities!

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)

      I believe God placed in children the instinct to ask a lot of questions. Why, what, where and how are pronouns that frequently come out of children’s mouths. I believe we need to be as little children when it comes to understanding the power of joy and adversities. With humble a heart I want to ask “why” am I called to rejoice in the midst of an adversity. I also want to ask; “how” do I rejoice always?

    As I have studied the different types of adversities the world can throw at us, one thing consistently stood out to me and that was the call to joy. Jesus called us to rejoice when we are persecuted and insulted (Matthew 5:11–12). When we encounter various types of temptations or trials, we are called to consider it joy (James 1:2–4). When the world is trying to pressure the life of God out of us, we called to exult (Romans 5:3). The Apostle Peter by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, tells us to rejoice in the midst of trials and temptations (1 Peter 1:6). Peter also tells us in 1 Peter 4:13, to the degree or measure we suffer for Jesus, rejoice. The Apostle Paul summarizes this call up in one of the shortest verses in the Bible when he says, “Rejoice always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16).

     I want to invite you to join me in doing two things. First, let’s receive the call of God to rejoice, instead of complaining or grumbling when we encounter an adversity. Secondly, let’s ask the Lord to reveal to us the “why” and the “how” of the power of joy.