Considering Joy

         It was the year, 1990 and we had just moved into our home in Mineral Wells, West Virginia and in a few months I suddenly found myself in the Coronary Care Unit of one of the Parkersburg hospitals. I had a heart attack and things changed rather quickly. After getting settle in, Diana, my wife, brought my Bible and I read each and every day the book of Philippians. After all, it spoke about joy and rejoicing and living was great but dying was better. It is a book that always gives me hope no matter what is going on around me. After a few days in Parkersburg I was transported down to Charleston Area Medical Center for cath to find out what was next. I had been in the position at the church for a little over a year, the Senior Pastor had been activated by the military and was heading to Kuwait and points north. Here I was, flat on my back and told to stay calm. Philippians 1:1-2 says, "Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ."

         Thus, the opening of the Book of the New Testament that brings hope when you are forced to lie on your back and look up. Dr. C. I. Scofield writes about the book saying, "The theme of Philippians is Christian experience. Soundness of doctrine is assumed. There is nothing in church order to set right. Philippi is a normal New Testament assembly--"saints in Christ Jesus, with the bishops (elders) and deacons." The circumstances of the apostle are in striking contrast with his Christian experience. As to the former, he was Nero’s prisoner. As to the latter, there was the shout of victory, the paean of joy. Christian experience, he would teach us, is not something which is going on around the believer, but something which is going on within him." I had not read Scofields account of the book, but I still just went to this book because of its focus on joy and rejoicing no matter what is going on around you. I needed that not only at that specific time but in all of my days, good and bad, sick ones and well ones, it made no difference. The Book is just as rerlavent and important today as it was 2000 years ago. Interruptions to our life plan often occur and we need to have something in which to steady ourselves when the blast hits whether it is a personal matter, a family matter or a world matter. The hope and the encouragement are the same and are perhaps summed up with the statement, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” While the majority to pursue after death, it is comforting to know that if it is the worst thing to take place that it is better even than our present life here on earth. Some have said, “The best is yet to come.” There are many times in your life experience when you need the lessons of the book of Philippians. Each book of the Bible has its message for us but when you say, “Hey, I don't know what's going on here?” then Philippians has a message for you. Praise God today that He has given us His Letter to guide us through all of life's trials and temptations and leads us to eternal peace with Him. It can't get any better than that.