Meeting 12/5/20
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near." Phil. 4:4-5.
Whew! Always? Sigh, This is a head shaker today. I'm sure you can relate! How can we rejoice during hard times? This is a tough one to grasp hold of, especially considering what the Lord is allowing my family to go through recently. We just got my wife home from a major surgery that had some scary complications. A few days later, I received an unwanted birthday gift, when I fell asleep on my bad shoulder, tearing it out further to the point where I cannot even lift my arm. Suddenly, I'm not able to go to work or use it for anything. As if that weren't enough, a few days later, my oldest daughter contracted Covid-19 and gave it to me as a belated birthday gift. We promptly quarantined by moving into our camper on the driveway to prevent Mama Bear and Piglet from getting it. We certainly didn't want Mama to catch it while she was recovering from her procedure. And Piglet was just about to have knee surgery, so we hoped to prevent her from getting sick. Meanwhile, close friends and others are either dying or struggling with this virus.
So, I say again, "Rejoice!"? I add the question mark because it's a challenge to even know how to rejoice in times such as these. Of course, you don't feel like it at all, so that's your starting point as you are on your knees or curled up in a ball, wracked by fever or heart ache. Rejoice? How? My best advice is to go straight to the Lord immediately. Don't go anywhere else. Go to Him with your pain. He is your gentle and mighty Shepherd. Let Him hold you. Feel His breath on you. Hear His heart beat. Rest in His strong arms. Only then are you ready for any next step. Now, what do you do?
I recommend we look to the examples already displayed for us. Paul eluded to these examples last week. It's imperative that we follow good examples at this point. A good beginning question is, "Lord, what do You want me to do in this situation?". Or, "how do You want me to respond?" Only then are we ready to take a step forward.
Rejoice? This isn't a natural choice. It's a supernatural decision of the will. It's the way to walk. It's the right way. It's the good choice. It's what God is praying and hoping for. He is pleased to see His children choosing this way. How is this even possible? The verses in the coming weeks will elaborate on healthy thought patterns and mindsets to cultivate. But what about help today? Read the closing of today's verse and repeat it over and over to your heart. "The Lord is near. The Lord is near. The Lord is near. The Lord is near. The Lord is near. The Lord is near. The Lord is near." And then maybe those observing your response will see the amazing miracle of gentleness enabled by the Holy Spirit Himself, for His glory.
