_*Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.*_ _~ Philippians 4:4–7_ At times in life it can feel jarring to be repeatedly told to “rejoice in the Lord”, particularly when circumstances are tough. But this passage, written from a prison cell, reminds me that joy is born not from pretending everything is fine but from holding both hope and truth together. I can rejoice because Jesus is with me, I can rejoice because God is steadily putting things right. I can rejoice because one day God will wipe away every tear (_Revelation 21:4_), and the glory of God will cover the earth like the water covers the seas (_Habakkuk 2:14_).