Reflections: The bookends of joy

The Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians has several greeting card or coffee mug-worthy verses, but today I was looking at verse 4: “Rejoice in the Lord always! I will say it again: Rejoice!” (BSB) 

Circumstances these days don’t exactly make it easy to be joyful. Divisiveness in our country, communities and churches; the military action in Iran; continued high prices for everything from used cars to electricity; mixed reactions to the SOTU address; and the recent tragedy in our own SW Missouri Ozarks of law enforcement officers being shot and killed or injured, are just a few of the things fighting for my head space. 

Paul’s circumstances weren’t easy, either. The book of Acts recounts beatings, shipwrecks, and more; and scholars believe he wrote Philippians from prison, likely the confinement that ended with his execution. There were church-planting issues between Jewish and gentile believers, too; and the church in Philippi wasn’t perfect, as chapter 4 also includes a plea for a couple of leaders to get along. 

In spite of all that, Paul encourages the Philippians to rejoice. Why? Because “the Lord is near!” Our hope is for eternity, so our rejoicing should be “in the Lord,” regardless of this life’s circumstances. The chapter continues with encouragement to “Be anxious for nothing,” and the famous, “I can do all things.” That “all things” includes being joyful and content, even in times of persecution or affliction. 

The theme of joy during difficult circumstances resonates throughout the Bible, with a similar pattern: earthly trials and difficulties, even persecution; the assurance that we will spend eternity with our Lord and Savior; and in the middle—joy! Jesus himself told his followers to expect persecution as they followed Him, but to “Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you” (Matthew 5:12, BSB). The Apostle Peter wrote, “. . . Though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with an inexpressible and glorious joy” (1 Peter 1:8). 

Over the centuries, joy in the Lord has often been expressed through song. The Psalms, written as songs, open with lament or cries of “Why?” about circumstances; then the writer remembers that God is in control, so he chooses to rejoice even if the circumstances have not yet changed, because he knows that they will. During Paul’s original time in Philippi, both Jewish and Roman leaders hadn’t exactly been welcoming to Paul; and when he landed in jail with his ministry partner, Silas, God miraculously intervened as they were doing, what? Singing praises to God! 

Some Bible versions use the word “unspeakable” in Peter’s description of joy, likely the inspiration for one of my mom’s favorite gospel songs, written by B.E. Warren in 1900: “It is joy unspeakable and full of glory, full of glory . . . Oh, the half has never yet been told!” Many more recent songs, including “Living Hope” and “In Christ Alone,” express the same theme.  

Isolated on a coffee mug, the command to “choose joy” or “rejoice in the Lord always” can be a good reminder with our morning devotions, but there are also times when it can seem ridiculous or impossible. But if we bookend it with “trials happen” and “we have eternal hope,” we can join a long line of biblical examples as we find that joy in the middle can be a wonderful place to experience God!