Greatly Rejoice (Psalm 21:1-4)

Today’s scripture: Psalm 21:1-4

This psalm is credited to King David, so we can rightfully conclude that he was writing about himself. What I see right away is his confidence in his God. In the very first verse, he made a statement. Not a request. A statement.

He stated that he “shall have joy in [the Lord’s] strength.” He exclaimed how he would “greatly … rejoice” in the Lord’s salvation.

Love those words: joy and rejoicing.

And he found joy in more than strength and salvation. He received his “heart’s desire.” He had “blessings of goodness.” The Lord had “set a crown of pure gold upon his head.”

I certainly rejoice in strength and salvation. I’ve so often received my heart’s desire. I’ve been abundantly blessed. And although I don’t have a queen’s crown on my head, I do know a crown awaits me (2 Tim. 4:8).

Then there’s the final verse: King David rejoiced that he was given “length of days …” Forever.

Second only to salvation itself, that is the greatest blessing of all: confidence in eternal life with the Lord. Forever.

Rejoice. Pray. Give Thanks. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Today’s scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Many Christians have memorized these verses and recite them regularly. However, have they stopped and really thought about what Paul is exhorting us to do?

Rejoice always. Always. It’s easy to rejoice when things are going well. But what about during dark times? A broken marriage. A terminal illness. A wayward child. Can we really rejoice? I mean, sincerely rejoice?

It’s certainly not easy. And I don’t think Paul meant we’re supposed to rejoice in the circumstances; rather, we’re to rejoice in spite of them. The rejoicing comes from knowing God is working His plan even through the pain, trials, or suffering (see Jer. 29:11 and Rom. 8:28). I live with chronic pain. Not a moment goes by when I don’t feel some kind of pain, and sometimes the pain is severe. I’m in that kind of season right now. I don’t rejoice in the pain; in fact, if I had my way, the pain would go away completely. But I know God will carry me through this season just as He has in the past. And I know He has a purpose for my pain, and I can rejoice knowing He’ll use it for His glory.

Pray without ceasing. I don’t think Paul meant we’re supposed to be on our knees every moment of every day. It’s not practical when we’re also called to work as unto the Lord and care for others. I think pray without ceasing is a mind-set. It’s keeping our Lord God first and foremost at all times. So when something happens—good or bad—our very first thought is to go to the Lord. Talk with Him. Listen to Him.

In everything give thanks. This ties the other two together, I think. If we’re rejoicing in all things and if we’re focusing on God, we’ll be thankful for everything. We’ll be thankful for His blessings—and we’ll tell Him so. We’ll be thankful for the hard times, knowing He’s using them to refine us and for His glory—and we’ll tell Him so.

It comes down to this: If we believe God is sovereign and that He has a loving plan for our lives, we’ll trust Him at all times. We’ll keep our eyes and hearts focused on Him, and we’ll rejoice and be grateful for all He does in and through us.

Rejoice ... Always? (Philippians 4:4)

Today’s scripture: Philippians 4:4

We Christians quote this verse … a lot. But it’s not as easy as it sounds, is it?

Oh, when the sun is shining, the pantry is full, the bills are paid, the children are home and safe, the husband empties the dishwasher without being asked … then it’s easy to rejoice. We sing praise songs. We thank the Lord for His blessings.

But rejoice always? When the storms hit? When past due notices pile up? When yet another interview ends with “You’re not quite the right fit”? When your teenager comes home reeking of alcohol? When your wife says she just doesn’t love you anymore? When the pain is unrelenting?

Rejoice?

That’s what Paul wrote. Rejoice always. Not just in the good times. Not just when the sun shines. Always.

How can we do this? It all comes down to a choice. You choose to rejoice. You choose to trust God’s faithfulness. You choose to believe Romans 8:28.

It’s okay to ask God “why” when things are hard or painful or confusing. But even when we don’t understand, we can remember God’s blessings, His past provision, His loving-kindness.

And we can rejoice.

Rejoice! (Philippians 3:1)

Today’s scripture: Philippians 3:1

It all comes down to this: Rejoice in the Lord. Through good times and bad times. On mountaintops and in valleys. At the wedding altar and at the graveside. When the doctor says “you’re cured” and when the words are “I’m so sorry.”

Rejoice in the Lord.

It’s not always easy. I admit there are many, many times I fail in this. When I don’t feel well. When the future looks so uncertain. When a friend turns from me. How do I rejoice in these times?

I just do. It’s a deliberate decision to find joy in all circumstances. A choice. I can choose to wallow and whine, or I can choose to give praise and glory to my Lord. And the latter is certainly better than the former.

Rejoice in the Lord. Remember His abundant love. Revel in His overwhelming blessings. Reach out your hand to Him and thank Him for being your Lord and Savior.

A Breath of Fresh Air (Philippians 2:14-16)

Today’s scripture: Philippians 2:14-16

Again, today’s verses both convict and encourage …

Many mornings, I wake up feeling pretty lousy. If you’ve read my blogs for a while, you know I deal with several health issues. On bad days, I really want to whine and complain, but usually, I just go to the Lord in prayer, thanking Him for the strength I know He’ll give me to accomplish what needs to be done each day.

And then I read God’s word. Verses like today’s. I’m to do all things—all things—without complaining. If I believe God is in loving control, I should be able to accept everything without question. If I trust Him to work all things for good (Rom. 8:28), I should rejoice in all things.

But there’s more to these verses. If I really can rejoice in all things without complaining, then God will use me as a light in this “crooked and perverse generation.” (And, by the way, don’t you love how relevant the Bible is today? Paul could easily have been writing about the United States in 2016.)

I love The Message’s paraphrase of verse 15: "Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night …"

Don’t you want to be a “breath of fresh air”? Don’t you want to “provide … a glimpse of good living and of the living God”?

We can be that light in this world. I know sometimes it seems things are too corrupt, too perverse, too squalid and polluted. But if we praise God through the difficult times, if we strive to love each other—and this world—He will work through us.  

Rejoice! (Psalm 5:11-12)

Today's scripture: Psalm 5:11-12

First, I apologize to my early-morning readers ... This was one of those "difficult to get moving" mornings ...

I'm doing a study in the book of James with my small group, and we've been talking quite a bit about joy. It's been a good reminder that joy isn't dependent on our circumstances. We can find joy (the fruit of the Spirit joy) no matter what's going on because true joy is a state of the heart.

We can be joyful in the storm because we know Who is holding us. We can be joyful in the pain because we serve the Great Physician, Jehovah-Rapha. We can be joyful when everyone around us seems determined to steal our joy because we trust in the God who is our shield.

Life isn't always easy ... and yes, that's an understatement. However, we can still find joy in the confidence that our God wins the war. One day, we will be with Him in heaven where there will be no pain or tears. We will spend eternity in the arms of our Abba, our Daddy. We will rejoice and praise  Him forever.

We are abundantly blessed as followers of Christ. We are forgiven. We are given grace and mercy. We are loved beyond our comprehension. We are given strength to do as He wills.

Because we know the God of creation and have personal relationships with Him, we can, indeed, rejoice.

Take a moment to thank God for His blessings. Ask Him to help you find the joy regardless of the circumstance ... and then rejoice!

Rejoice! (Psalm 13:5-6)

Today's scripture: Psalm 13:5-6

We've talked a lot about mercy over the last couple of weeks, so I'm not going to focus on the first part of verse five. Instead, I'm going to focus on two words: rejoice and bountifully.

The psalmist writes, "My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation" and "Because He has dealt bountifully with me." Now, I know, in context, the because is tied to "I will sing to the Lord ..." However, I think it's safe to say that I can rejoice because how bountifully I am blessed.

See where I'm going with this?

Rejoice means to "feel or show great joy or delight." Joy is a state of being; it is finding contentment no matter the circumstances. Even in the difficult times I can rejoice because I know God has a plan and a purpose.

Today, though, we're tying rejoice and bountifully together.

Every person who has committed his or her heart and life to Jesus is already blessed. Forgiveness. Grace. Mercy. Never-ending love. Eternity with our Lord.

But I submit that we who follow Christ in the United States are bountifully blessed. If you're reading this you either own or have access to a computer or some other device. Which means you have electricity. Which means you have some kind of income ... probably significantly more than many throughout our world ...

We are blessed with relationships, with material goods. We are blessed with health (well, most of us are ...).

So, how can we not rejoice? How can we not lift hands and hearts in praise to our amazing God?

How can we not rejoice in our bountiful blessings?

Today, echo the words of the psalmist: "I will rejoice because I am bountifully blessed."

Weeping ... and Rejoicing (John 16:16-22)

Today's scripture: John 16:16-22

I imagine being one of Jesus' disciples, following Him, listening to His words, watching Him perform miracles. They knew the ancient prophecies of the Messiah, so I imagine their anxiously awaiting His overpowering earthly rulers and taking His rightful place as King of the Jews.

Now, however, they're in the upper room, still listening, but feeling confused. He talked about vines and abiding. He talked about a "Helper." He talked about being persecuted. Now He says He would be going away, and they would "weep and lament" ... but then they'd rejoice.

What? What in the world?

Even though Jesus had told them about His mission, they still didn't "get it." With the gift of the scriptures, we know why He came to earth. Jesus, God the Son, came to proclaim truth (John 18:37), to provide salvation (Romans10:9), to give eternal life (John 3:16), and to demonstrate love (John 13:34).

In God's sovereign plan, Jesus had to die to pay the penalty for humankind's sin. His blood had to be spilled so that we might live. He—the only perfect Man who ever lived—had to die as our sacrifice. His death would indeed cause weeping and lamenting and grieving for His disciples.

Oh, but we know something the disciples didn't that night: Jesus would rise from the dead. He would walk with them for a short time and then ascend to heaven ... and live eternally at the right hand of the Father.

I imagine the confusion of the disciples after Jesus said, "... a little while, you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me." This didn't correlate with anything they believed.

We know the end of the story. We can already rejoice in what Jesus did for us. Even more, we can rejoice in what He will do for us: gather us to Him for eternity.

Praise the Lord!

Rejoice in Suffering (Colossians 1:24)

Today's scripture: Colossians 1:24

Rejoicing in suffering goes against society norms. How one could find anything good in pain and affliction is a complete contradiction to nonbelievers.

Yet throughout the Bible, especially the New Testament, followers of Christ are told to expect suffering. And, yes, even rejoice in it. James, the brother of Jesus, wrote that we are to "consider it all joy" when we face trials or difficult times (James 1:2). Why? Because God will use our suffering for His glory.

And again, our non-believing friends don't get it. They say, "Why would a loving God allow His children to suffer?"

The Bible says a lot about this very thing. If we continue to read the passage from James, we learn that going through trials will one day make us "perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (v. 4).

In another letter, Paul wrote that his suffering helped him to realize from where his strength really came: God Himself. He discovered that it was only in his weakness that he came to rely solely on God, and therefore, he could say with conviction, "... when I am weak, then I am strong" (2Corinthians 12:10).

I know this is true. When I lived under my own "strength," I often failed. Yet, because of chronic health issues that keep me relatively weak, I find strength in Jesus. He's with me, walking alongside me ... often carrying me.

And so I can rejoice in my suffering because it draws me closer to my Lord God. Even more, my suffering makes me long for eternity, for the day when I can stand whole and strong before my God.

Rejoice. Pray. Give Thanks (1 Thess. 5:16-18)

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NASB)

Many Christians have memorized these verses and recite them regularly. However, have they stopped and really thought about what Paul is exhorting us to do?

Rejoice always. Always. It’s easy to rejoice when things are going well. But what about during dark times? A broken marriage. A terminal illness. A wayward child. Can we really rejoice? I mean, really, sincerely rejoice?

It’s certainly not easy. And I don’t think Paul meant we’re supposed to rejoice in the circumstances; rather, we’re to rejoice in spite of them. The rejoicing comes from knowing God is working His plan even through the pain, trials, or suffering (see Jer. 29:11 and Rom. 8:28). I live with chronic pain. Not a moment goes by when I don’t feel some kind of pain, and sometimes the pain is severe. I’m in that kind of season right now. I don’t rejoice in the pain; in fact, if I had my way, the pain would go away completely. But I know God will carry me through this season just as He has in the past. And I know He has a purpose for my pain, and I can rejoice knowing He’ll use it for His glory.

Pray without ceasing. I don’t think Paul meant we’re supposed to be on our knees every moment of every day. It’s not practical when we’re also called to work as unto the Lord and care for others. I think pray without ceasing is a mind-set. It’s keeping our Lord God first and foremost at all times. So when something happens—good or bad—our very first thought is to go to the Lord. Talk with Him. Listen to Him.

In everything give thanks. This ties the other two together, I think. If we’re rejoicing in all things and if we’re focusing on God, we’ll be thankful for everything. We’ll be thankful for His blessings—and we’ll tell Him so. We’ll be thankful for the hard times, knowing He’s using them to refine us and for His glory—and we’ll tell Him so.

It comes down to this: If we believe God is sovereign and that He has a loving plan for our lives, we’ll trust Him at all times. We’ll keep our eyes and hearts focused on Him, and we’ll rejoice and be grateful for all He does in and through us.

Rejoice in Each Other (1 Thess. 3:9-10)

For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account, as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith?
(1 Thessalonians 3:9-10, NASB)

We are encouraged by our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are comforted by them.

And we rejoice in them.

When I see a child of God use his or her gifts and talents to serve God, it brings me great joy. I’ve spent the last eleven weeks or so with a cast of wonderful actors as we’ve rehearsed and performed a new dramatic adaptation of Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables. We close today, and it’s rather bittersweet. Part of me is happy to get my weekends back! And yet, I know I’ll miss this particular group of actors.

What I’ll miss the most is seeing the fellowship and camaraderie that’s occurred as we’ve grown closer. And I’ll miss the joy I feel as I stand off-stage to watch my cast mates give their all to tell a powerful story of grace and redemption.

But I’ll continue to rejoice as they pursue God’s plan for their lives. And I’ll continue to rejoice as I watch all my brothers and sisters do what God has gifted them to do.

Rejoice Always (Phil. 4:4)

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
(Philippians 4:4, NKJV)

We Christians quote this verse … a lot. But it’s not as easy as it sounds, is it?

Oh, when the sun is shining, the pantry is full, the bills are paid, the children are home and safe, the husband empties the dishwasher without being asked … then it’s easy to rejoice. We sing praise songs. We thank the Lord for His blessings.

But rejoice always? When the storms hit? When past due notices pile up? When yet another interview ends with “You’re not quite the right fit”? When your teenager comes home reeking of alcohol? When your wife says she just doesn’t love you anymore? When the pain is unrelenting?

Rejoice?

That’s what Paul wrote. Rejoice always. Not just in the good times. Not just when the sun shines. Always.

How can we do this? It all comes down to a choice. You choose to rejoice. You choose to trust God’s faithfulness. You choose to believe Romans 8:28.

It’s okay to ask God “why” when things are hard or painful or confusing. But even when we don’t understand, we can remember God’s blessings, His past provision, His loving-kindness.

And we can rejoice.

Rejoice in the Lord (Phil. 3:1)

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.
(Philippians 3:1, NKJV)

It all comes down to this: Rejoice in the Lord. Through good times and bad times. On mountaintops and in valleys. At the wedding altar and at the graveside. When the doctor says “you’re cured” and when the words are “I’m so sorry.”

Rejoice in the Lord.

It’s not always easy. I admit there are many, many times I fail in this. When I don’t feel well. When the future looks so uncertain. When a friend turns from me. How do I rejoice in these times?

I just do. It’s a deliberate decision to find joy in all circumstances. A choice. I can choose to wallow and whine, or I can choose to give praise and glory to my Lord. And the latter is certainly better than the former.

Rejoice in the Lord. Remember His abundant love. Revel in His overwhelming blessings. Reach out your hand to Him and thank Him for being your Lord and Savior.

And rejoice.