God Always Leads Us To Rejoice

"Today's Devotion" For November 28, 2005

Read: Isaiah 61:1-3, 10-11; Psalm 62

GOD ALWAYS LEADS US TO REJOICE

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Phil. 4:4)

Yesterday afternoon was a bit of a "bummer." The Green Bay Packers, the "hometown" team for us folks in Wisconsin, lost another close contest. Their record is an abysmal 2 wins, 9 losses. They have no hope of a winning season any longer. While I get frustrated with the poor play with which they are more often than not beating themselves, the frustration the players themselves feel is obvious. They try to put a "brave face" on their season, but, in reality, the season just plain "stinks." The head coach is doing his level best to keep the team motivated, but it's a struggle under such circumstances. Noticeably, the television commentators for the game all agreed that the Packer players didn't look as if they were giving up - they were playing hard and working for a win.
It's really hard for us to find the good in such a situation. For many fans who are emotionally tied into the "hometown" team, a losing season can affect their own mental and emotional outlook. Even though it's just a football game, a great many fans find themselves "living and dying" with the Pack. Yet, even though so many fans are so affected by their team's predicament, the fans don't play the game. It doesn't affect their paychecks and livelihood, nor does it affect their future employment. So it's got to be a tremendous challenge for the coaching staff to get the team ready to play each week and keep them motivated to success. Such a task requires the attitude of one football coach who was once asked, "How do you keep you and your team motivated when the losses are mounting up?" The coach, a very unassuming individual, shrugged his shoulders, cocked his head, and answered, "Well, let me put it this way. I'm the kind of person who, if I fell in a mud puddle, I'd get up and check my pockets for fish."

We all face "losses" in our lives every day. There are some years in which things just seem to go from bad to worse, with no end in sight and no hope of a turnaround. Looking for the good in the midst of the struggles is awfully difficult. Certainly it can be said that when things are really tough it seems that looking for fish in a mud puddle is as good an option as any. It's hard to find anything redeeming in the midst of continuous despair and "bad" times. Even though we want to see the blessings of God in the midst of trial and tribulation - in the midst of a "losing season" - Sin so often blinds us to those blessings and all we see are troubles all around us.

The prophet Isaiah was facing the challenge of declaring God's will and salvation to the people of Israel who were despairing of God's love and presence in their lives. We note that Isaiah powerfully and confidently declares not only his mission from God, but a message of the Good News of God's gift of salvation and the freedom from the power of Sin, Death, and Satan for His children. In the same way, St. Paul writes to the church at Philippi that they should also, in all things, no matter how terrible things may seem to be, "rejoice in the Lord always." Ultimately, it's God who lifts us up to Himself and carries us in His arms through every trial and tribulation which might come our way and would seek to lead us to despair of His love an presence with us.

As God lifts us up to Himself every day of our lives by the power of His Word and Spirit working in and through our Baptisms, He points us to Jesus. He reminds us that things appeared bleak and lost when Jesus was tried, beaten, and scoured even though He was sinless and undeserving of such a punishment. The bleakness of our condition seems even more pronounced when we see Jesus not only falsely accused by also nailed to the cross to suffer and die. Yet God's Good News to us is that through such ignominious treatment and, finally, a horrible death, Christ won our freedom from Sin, Death, and Satan. His sacrifice brings the Father's forgiveness to bear in our lives so that we can "fall in the mud puddle and look for fish in our pockets." We can live optimistic lives of faith, filled with God's peace, joy, and forgiveness. We can be certain that no matter what our circumstances might be, or how many "losses" we may be experiencing, our heavenly Father is always with us to "lift us up" to Himself and lead us to rejoice and give thanks in everything.

Prayer: Father, I ask You to forgive me for all those times I am overcome by the cares and trials of the world and forget how much You love me and bless me each day. Help me to live with my head held high, give me strength to overcome every situation that would seek to lead me to despair of Your love, and send Your Spirit upon me each day to remind me that I am Your very own, redeemed child, baptized into Christ Jesus my Savior and Lord. Father, remind me daily that You are the One who lifts me up above the fray so that I might rejoice daily in Your presence in my life, Your gift of salvation for me in Jesus, and the opportunities You give me to share Your love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness in Christ with all whom I meet. Hear my prayer, gracious Father, for the sake of Jesus Christ in Whose precious name I pray. Amen.
***************************

--Pastor Boeck

Copyright ©2005 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.