A farmer prepares a field for growing a crop by cultivating it. I think that it is our duty to cultivate the joy we have been looking at in the book of Philippians. With that, we must make an effort to do this. We must fight against any tendency that we might have to complain or murmur. We have to fight against the tendency to find fault with God’s dealings with us. We must fight against the human tendency to seek too much sympathy from others. We must resist the temptation to any form of sin. When everything might seem dark and cloudy, we are to be the one “weird” person to look for and see that tiny piece of blue in the sky.
We need to rest upon the promises of God in certain faith that He will triumph gloriously, and that the future will absolutely vindicate the long story of human pain. We must indeed cultivate a cheerful optimism and an undaunted hope. Knowing that we are in a beautiful relationship with the Lord, we will find it to be a great and ever flowing joy. It can be viewed as a fountain of living water that will never run dry. Though it may be difficult to rejoice in all our circumstances, we can always rejoice in Jesus Christ. Why? He is the bread of life. He is the fountain of living waters. He is the One whom our soul loves, as He chases all the shadows away.
Mark Seim