It is joy unspeakable and full of glory,
Full of glory, full of glory.
It is joy unspeakable and full of glory;
O the half has never yet been told!

(Written by Barney Elliot Warren, 1900)

Joy unspeakable joy
An overflowing well
No tongue can tell
Joy unspeakable joy
It rises in my soul
Never lets me go…

(Written by Chris Tomlin, 2009)

The apostle Paul wrote these words of unspeakable, glorious joy while sitting in a jail cell.  God still equipped and used Paul in his circumstances to declare His glory while sharing the message of salvation.  He fills Paul to overflow status with this unspeakable joy that only comes from God.  Paul shares what he is learning from God as he praises God!  Paul also teaches us how to turn worry into prayers, a healthier way to live, along  with how to overcome our overthinking with Truth when we are challenged with the perplexities of life.

Philippians 4, The Message

My dear, dear friends! I love you so much. I do want the very best for you. You make me feel such joy, fill me with such pride. Don’t waver. Stay on track, steady in God.

Pray About Everything

² I urge Euodia and Syntyche to iron out their differences and make up. God doesn’t want his children holding grudges.

³ And, oh, yes, Syzygus, since you’re right there to help them work things out, do your best with them. These women worked for the Message hand in hand with Clement and me, and with the other veterans—worked as hard as any of us. Remember, their names are also in the Book of Life.

^4-5 Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

^6-7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

^8-9 Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Content Whatever the Circumstances

^10-14 I’m glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess—happy that you’re again showing such strong concern for me. Not that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just had no chance to show it. Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. I don’t mean that your help didn’t mean a lot to me—it did. It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles.

^15-17 You Philippians well know, and you can be sure I’ll never forget it, that when I first left Macedonia province, venturing out with the Message, not one church helped out in the give-and-take of this work except you. You were the only one. Even while I was in Thessalonica, you helped out—and not only once, but twice. Not that I’m looking for handouts, but I do want you to experience the blessing that issues from generosity.

^18-20 And now I have it all—and keep getting more! The gifts you sent with Epaphroditus were more than enough, like a sweet-smelling sacrifice roasting on the altar, filling the air with fragrance, pleasing God to no end. You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus. Our God and Father abounds in glory that just pours out into eternity. Yes.

^21-22 Give our regards to every follower of Jesus you meet. Our friends here say hello. All the Christians here, especially the believers who work in the palace of Caesar, want to be remembered to you.

²³ Receive and experience the amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, deep, deep within yourselves.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

The apostles learned first hand from Jesus and passed this unspeakable joy on to us!

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,” –Peter, 1 Peter 1:8, NIV

“…Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” –Jesus, John 20:29, NIV

“I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.” –Paul, Philippians 4, MSG 

We learn that saving faith in Christ brings with it a joy so great that it can’t be expressed. Words can’t contain or explain it. It’s a joy full of glory, reflecting our future with Christ in the present moment in front of us. We learn that this uncommon, not of this world, joy is a gift given to help us in and through the troubles of this world.  The choice to rejoice in God, even the middle of our trials, is an act of faith.  Joy and peace come because of our belief and trust in Jesus.

Things are not always rosy in our household, either.  We are struggling to settle an accident claim that could cost all we have.  You might be struggling with severe illness, a relationship that causes much pain, or a financial struggle that worries you at present.  Things and people of this world can jolt our joy meters for sure!  How can we retain and sustain this uncommon joy?

Studying Paul’s message of joy and contentment in all circumstances is appropriate for all, on any given day, but especially today—at this very moment!  All of us will experience times of worry, fear of the unknown, wondering what will happen next.  All of us will have troubles in this world.  We must focus on Jesus and keep Him in the center of our thoughts. 

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”—Jesus, John 16:33

Our Overcoming-Jesus will make overcomers of us!  It is our trust in Him that overcomes our fears.  It is our hope and faith in Jesus that turns dread and sorrow into this unspeakable, unexplainable joy right in the middle of troubles.  Jesus offers a bonus called peace—a gift given to those with unwavering belief in Him. 

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”—Jesus, John 14:27

Pause to pray—Let us reshape our worries into prayers of praise, believing in the promise that God knows and is with us through it all. Rejoice in God’s goodness.  He didn’t bring us this far to leave us.  Life may not turn out the way we perceive; but we can be certain that God always knows exactly what we need when we need it most—mostly Him.

Lord,

Here I am seeking to be filled with your peace and joy again.  You are the Way, Truth, and Life.  You are the One and Only who saves us and sets us free to love like you love us.  You are the overcomer of evil and evil’s schemes to rob our joy and peace in you.  May your glory, your unspeakable joy in me be my testimony all day long and forever no matter what circumstances try to dictate in my life.  Transform my thought life to match your desires for me.  “Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.”  I agree with Paul.  You are the joy and strength of my life!

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen.  Yes! 

Your name, Your name
Is victory.
All praise, will rise
To Christ, our king

By Your spirit I will rise
From the ashes of defeat
The resurrected King, is resurrecting me
In Your name I come alive
To declare Your victory
The resurrected King, is resurrecting me…

(Resurrecting, Elevation Worship, Songwriters: Christopher Brown / Mack Brock / Matthews Thabo Ntele / Steven Furtick / Wade Joye)