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"The crowd joined in the attack
against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates
ordered them to be stripped and beaten.
After they had been severely flogged,
they were thrown into prison and the
jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.
Upon receiving such orders, he put them
in the inner cell and fastened their
feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul
and Silas were praying and singing hymns
to God, and the other prisoners were
listening to them. Suddenly there was
such a violent earthquake that the foundations
of the prison were shaken. At once all
the prison doors flew open, and everybody's
chains came loose" (Acts 16:22-26.)
"Rejoice
in the Lord always" (Philippians
4:4)
While
a prisoner in Rome, Paul wrote the Philippians
a letter that sounds like a shout of
victory. Its theme is joy and rejoicing
in the Lord.
Paul
knew the secret of victory over anxiety
and depression. After telling the Philippians
to rejoice in the Lord always, he advised
them not to worry about anything, but
to bring everything in prayer to the
Lord with thanksgiving.
"Do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your request
to God" (Philippians 4:6.)
Thus, instead of being worried and depressed,
the Christian would have God's peace.
“And the peace of God, which
transcends all understanding, will guard
your hearts and your minds in Christ
Jesus.”
(Philippians 4:7.)
Paul
was well acquainted with victory through
rejoicing in the Lord. When he and Silas
were evangelizing in Philippi, they
were arrested, beaten, and imprisoned.
In
chains in the rat-infested dungeon,
they prayed and sang praises to the
Lord. Suddenly an earthquake shook the
prison's foundations. The doors flew
open; the prisoners were loosed from
their shackles.
Similarly,
we are loosed from the shackles of depression,
anxiety, fears and worries as we pray
and rejoice in the Lord. For how can
the flesh keep us down when we are up
in the Spirit?
If
you rejoice in the Lord every morning,
think what a difference it would make
in your life. Practice this when you
awaken. Tell the Lord you love Him;
then thank and praise Him for every
blessing you can think of.
Rejoicing
in the Lord will soon be a habit.
~This
is the second devotion in Dr. Larson’s
book, Joy
Every Morning"
(Moody Press), which went into its 29th
printing recently. To order this book
click
here
~
Dr.
Muriel Larson, author of 17 books
and thousands of published writings
and songs, is a professional Christian
writer, counselor and speaker, and has
taught at writers' conferences across
the United States. She serves as an
advice columnist for Christian
Women Today.com.
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Mary
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