“Rejoice in the LORD Always”

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

BIBLE READING: Philippians 4.4
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”

How could Paul expect us to rejoice always? This expectation seems contrary and obtuse to the challenges we often face. Joy is a positive emotion we often associate with happiness and good times. Quite frankly, we don’t typically feel joy in seasons of difficulty and sadness. How then can we have joy, always?

Paul’s situation teaches that joy is not based on circumstances—he was in prison while writing this joyful letter! So whatever joy is, it is a settled decision towards optimism. This is because the joy God expects us to have is deeply rooted in future hope:

• “Rejoice in hope” (Romans 12.12)
• “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Romans 15.13)
• …let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus… who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross (Hebrews 12.1-2)
• “I have set the LORD always before me…Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices…” (Psalm 16.8-9)

Even if things are out of place in the present, God has promised resolution and glory for his people. Therefore, joy is a confident optimism that is settled in God’s power and presence (Psalm 16.11). We can and should rejoice in the Lord always because his promises are true.

The problem is, we can easily lose sight of God as we live in the flesh. We are bombarded with present needs and wants that steal our attention and affection. Some of this is self-inflicted as we are inclined to follow our foolish heart at times. We want a relationship to work, a pursuit to bring fulfillment, a pleasure to continue. We don’t always appreciate our limitations and the need for various seasons to shape us. Other times our lack of focus is the work of the devil. He plays to our wants and emotions. He deceptively emphasizes our understanding and perception of people and situations. We easily set our attention on present struggles and prolonged seasons of suffering and become discontent.

This world is full of joy-killers that drive us to seek temporal security, resolution and peace… but these do not bring joy. These things are nothing more than deceptions and distractions. The key to having joy is looking beyond the moment to what is ahead. Difficult seasons come to us all, especially those who live by faith. If all we have is the present, we are of all people most to be pitied (1 Corinthians 15.19). But because we believe in the resurrection and eternal life, we can be confident that the best is yet to come (1 Corinthians 15.20-28). And in this hope, we can rejoice, always.

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1.6-9)

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