Hope for the FutureSample

Rejoice!

Despite the hardships, setbacks, and persecution Paul faced, this is the same man who said, Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice! in Philippians 4:4. Do you know where Paul was when he wrote that verse? In prison!

If anyone mastered the skill of “keep going” and “have hope for the future” it was Paul. He experienced all those horrible ordeals listed in 1 Corinthians 11, and then he rejoiced.

He responded like that more than once. Acts 16:24–26 recounts the time when he and Silas were beaten, imprisoned, and bound in stocks for preaching the Gospel. But at midnight (the darkest hour), they did the most unusual thing – they praised God! And as a result, a great earthquake shook the prison and everyone’s chains were loosed!

What might happen in your life and my life if we determined to praise God when things look dark and hopeless? 

Paul knew that there is power in praise. When you rejoice instead of cowering in fear, it can change circumstances and make your future bright. And apparently praising God in times of trouble can help everyone around you get free too! I think the more you read about Paul, the more you’ll understand that you can react like he did in horrible situations, too. I encourage you to dig into the Word and study Paul’s life. Learn all you can from his admonition to rejoice, then try it in your own life. I am confident that you’ll see some amazing results. I have.

The Bible is packed with great stories about God’s people going through horrible, hopeless circumstances and coming out on top. In the book of Daniel, three young men named Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego chose to obey God and it looked like their future was bleak indeed. 

At that time, by national decree, everyone in the kingdom of Babylon was required to bow down to the king’s statue or else: Whoever doesn’t fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace (Daniel 3:6). By refusing to comply with the king’s command, but rather choosing to obey God, it looked like the future of three young men involved getting burned alive! Find out in tomorrow’s reading just what happened to them…