Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
Philippians 4:4
In the context of the above verse, the scriptures are teaching us how we need to keep our soul “in-tune” with the Lord and to be at peace with Him at all times. Our ability to rejoice is directly related to our relationship with the Living God and our trust in Him rather than our circumstances. We must choose to surrender our heart and mind to the Lord and let His Holy Spirit rule our soul to find true peace. We can do this by the grace of God if Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior and we are walking/living in fellowship with Him. If you have been forgiven of your sins and have received eternal life through Jesus, that alone is reason enough to rejoice at all times. If we keep our focus on the truth of Romans 8:28 that God is using all our circumstances for good, even painful and difficult times, we can rejoice. If we keep our hope in the promises of God that include He will never leave or forsake us and that He has prepared for us a place in Heaven, we can rejoice. Yes, life can be very challenging, painful and discouraging, but through it all we can have deep joy and even rejoice because of our faith. We are called to have a “peace that passes understanding” in Philippians 4:7 and this is a part of the joy God provides that is to be our strength for living righteously (Nehemiah 8:10). My friends, please take time each day to recall God’s faithfulness, mercy and kindness in your life and put all your hope in His character and promises. If Christ is not your Savior, surrender to His love and perfect sacrifice today. It is the blessed life!
Love in Christ,
Pastor Gary Houdek