Philippians 4:4 (NASB 2020) – Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
I wonder how many times we’ve remembered that famous Bible verse, probably said it out loud as encouragement to another, not fully grasping the “backstory” of its origin.
Paul is bound in a Roman prison with Silas. You can bet the conditions were not favorable, being a cold and damp hard rock floor as their only resting place. I’m sure the Roman guards weren’t treating and feeding them favorably as well.
Paul is writing a letter to the believers in Philippi from these conditions, not from the comfort of freedom by a nice campfire or shade tree, eating something of his choice. No, he’s writing from a painful place where he didn’t know how long he and Silas would be in that condition, or even if their lives would be spared.
Imagine yourself in the middle of dealing with something very challenging. You might be experiencing severe physical, mental, and emotional pain. While in this state, a well-meaning Christian family member or friend says this verse to you and goes on about their business without offering to truly help. How would you feel? I know well how I would, and have!
Within your mind you may even have some internal dialog with them “Oh really, and do you rejoice in the Lord always, when you’re in serious pain or in a difficult situation at the moment?” Obviously, I’m guilty as charged or I wouldn’t have written that.
But Paul was sincerely using this language from hard conditions inside of prison! How?
Because Paul was praising God for who He was to him regardless of Paul’s situation, not for the deliverance from the situation. How often do we prioritize praising God for His favorable response to our request for help? And that’s wonderful and expected of us! But the bigger question is, how often do we, from the heart, praise Him from within tough situations, not yet knowing the outcome?
In our difficult times where we may not feel God’s presence at all and our prayers seem unable to pass the ceiling, can we confidently declare, as the great Christian singer Natalie Grant beautifully sings, “I will praise You in this storm!”?
In our difficult times, we need to override the painful and negative thoughts fed to our minds from the whispered lies of the enemy with the truth we know from God’s Word. God is very near, even when it doesn’t feel so. His promises are still unchanged, His grace and mercy still abounding, and His timing is still perfect in the response to your cries for help. From this knowledge within us, we can always praise Him.
I hope to develop this within me as I give deep thought and knowledge of the “backstory” of Philippians 4:4! I hope and pray the same for you.
Oh… By the way… or as Paul Harvey used to say, “Now, the rest of the story”
Acts 16:26 (NASB 2020) – and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains were unfastened.
Acts 16:29–30 (NASB 2020) – 29 And the jailer asked for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas; 30 and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”