Joy
“Rejoice in the Lord always: again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near” Phil. 4:4-5.
Think of a time when you were so happy that you couldn’t even contain yourself. It could be a moment of pure happiness. It may have been at home, work, school, or some random place. How did it feel? Now change gears. Think of a time you were really sad. It could be a time when you were struggling with something. It may have been with a loss of someone close to you or a difficult relationship. How did it feel?
In Paul’s letter to the church in Philipi, Paul tells them to rejoice in the Lord always. How do we rejoice in the struggles as well as the good? In verse 5, Paul reminds them that the Lord is near. That means that the Lord is near in good times as well as bad. It is in this that we rejoice. God will be with us no matter what our circumstances. We do not rejoice in what is happening around us because that will change. Some days will be good and some will be hard but every day we can rejoice in the Lord because he is near.
Our August camp was filled with times of fun and laughter. It also had times of struggle for many families. Throughout our week there were significant opportunities for rejoicing in the Lord in the lives of families. These are just a few of the stories of joy.
An adopted teenager asked his Heavenly Father to be the father he never had in his life. A nine-year-old girl asked Christ into her life. She wrote on a mural, “Thank you, Jesus, for dying on the cross for me. I love you.” When her grandfather tore out the piece of paper she wrote on and took it with him, he had the biggest smile on his face. A father prayed that his family may go back to church and find a place with the same joy they have found here at Laity Lodge Family Camp. A mother had tears in her eyes during the rodeo because it was the first time her children had really smiled and felt safe enough to take part in activities. A husband called his wife (whom he was separated from) to talk about their relationship. They are planning to come back together with the kids.
Tags: devotional, joy, Laity Lodge Family Camp, Texas, wrap-up
March 31st, 2010 at 7:59 am
I love your take on this, could not agree more.