Bible Study Verses
Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (NIV)
Thoughts
Rejoice! It is not an option; it is not a suggestion; it is a command. It is to be a way of life for a follower of Jesus. Rejoice when you miss the easy shot. Rejoice when the line breaks and the fish of the day escapes. Rejoice when the weather turns sour. Rejoice when the tire goes flat.
Why can we rejoice? The answer to that question is right there in what Paul wrote – because “The Lord is near.” Because of God’s presence, we need not be anxious or fearful. But, we do have to obey and, in faith, take our requests to God.
“In faith of what?” you ask? Faith that God knows what’s best, that He will treat our requests with love; in His wisdom, grant or deny the request, or perhaps He may tell us to be patient and wait for His timing. No matter what His response, God promises a peace that defies human understanding, a peace that can only be from Him. And, if we believe that God is in sovereign control, then, we’ve come full circle – back to the point where we can have absolute peace and rejoice in any circumstance, because the Lord is near.
Action Point
As we grow in Christ and in our faith in Him, we learn that God is in control of every situation. There is nothing that is out of His control. Because we have confidence in Him and believe that He always wants what is best for His child, we can rejoice in any circumstance and know that, whatever we’re going through, He has a purpose, His purpose.
Sportsmen’s Tip of the Day
A positive attitude in the field will help get you through tough situations. Getting mad or angry, or being negative, just causes you to delay solving whatever the problem is that you are facing. Rejoice! Again I will say, “Rejoice!”
Do you have a prayer request? Email me your request and I will pray for you in my Daily Quite Time. jimmyhassell@ghcof.org . Pray for GHCOF and the 24 weekend events we have yearly that we will lead someone to a relationship with Christ.