Rejoice...Always!
Rejoice in the Lord…ALWAYS? I don’t know about always, I can give you sometimes, but I don’t know if I can promise always. Besides who’s happy all the time? The Apostle Paul doesn’t say be happy in the Lord always, he says rejoice. But what’s the difference and does it really matter?
Happy, as defined in the dictionary means: feeling or showing pleasure. This is usually tied to something good happening, whether to us directly or someone we care about. We feel good when something good happens and that’s natural. The feeling that we get when good things happens is addictive and we can start to seek out things that will replicate that ‘good feeling’ and even expect God to fill our lives with only the things that will make us feel good. But our faith walk with God is based on more than feelings.
One of those things is a firm grasp and knowledge of who God our Father is. He is Faithful (Ps 119:90), Love (1 John 4:16), our Healer (2 Kings 20:5), our Strength (Ps 46:1) our Provider (Phil 4:19) and so much more and it’s in Him that our joy resides. Webster’s dictionary defines the word Rejoice as having great joy or delight, not in a good thing that has happened but in a God who never changes.
Is there still pain in life? Yes. Is there sorrow and grief? Absolutely, but God is good and when we rejoice in Him our joy is not only secure, it is complete. He still heals, He still saves and He is still with you through it all. Circumstances will change, people will come and go, there will be ups and downs in life but our God does not change and if He doesn’t change we can surely always rejoice.
by Kalesha Peters
