Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Philippians 4:4
Many people know this verse well, and it has been the subject of many sermons and devotionals.
The subject of this verse is “rejoice.” Rejoice means to be full of joy. Celebrate. Take great pleasure. Delight. Be glad. We are supposed to be people that function and operate in this attitude of joy. We need to be joyful people. However, rejoicing for rejoicing’s sake is not the point of this verse. Our “rejoicing” needs an object. There must be something “to rejoice in.”
Let’s be completely honest. Sometimes life stinks. Things happen that are beyond our control. There can be unmet expectations. There can be lost jobs, lost loved ones, or a broken heart. Circumstances of life can bring feelings of disappointment, grief, and heartache, AND it is OK to have these feelings. A close friend recently said, “Even though our hearts are breaking, we do not despair. We do not despair in the circumstances, nor do we rejoice in circumstances. We rejoice IN THE LORD, always.”
As Christ-followers, we rejoice IN THE LORD. God is the object of our rejoicing, NOT the circumstances of life. This happens by spending time with God in His Word and growing our understanding of God’s character and personality daily. Understanding what God likes and what He dislikes. Why does God “so love the world”? Why doesn’t He condemn us once we have received His free gift of salvation? Why doesn’t God want us to worry? Why has He promised to meet our every need and never, ever leave us? Why is He gracious and merciful, full of love and compassion?
Knowing God gives us the confidence to celebrate God all day, every day. Knowing God allows us to delight IN THE LORD. Our rejoicing, as Christ-followers, exists solely upon our unassailable, unchanging relationship we have with our sovereign Lord. Take the time to “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10). Then you will be able to always rejoice IN THE LORD.
Pastor Tom