Rejoice in the Lord Always (Phil. 4:4)
Too many believers forget where real joy comes from. In our self-absorb society it is easy to think that joy comes from personal pleasures, people or possessions. The following points contain some helpful motivations to obey the scriptural commmand, "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say rejoice."
Illustration: To God be the glory, great things He has done;
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.
Refrain
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.
O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.
Refrain
Great things He has taught us, great things He has done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.
1. SELF-DISCIPLINE - Even when we do not feel like rejoicing we need to exercise the self-discipline of letting truth guide us instead of our emotions. Paul wrote, "Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise both for the present life and the life to come." (I Tim. 4:7,8)
2. PRAISE AND SING - Praise God for He is joyful, glad and good all the time. David wrote, "Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart." (Psa 32:11) "Sing joyfully to the Lord; you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him." Rejoicing in the Lord puts all of life into its proper perspective. Praise God for His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. Praise Him for His power, purpose and prospects that He provides. Praise God for the encouragement you have in Christ, the consolation of love, the fellowship of the Spirit and His affection and compassion. (Phil. 2:1)
3. MORNING DEVOTIONS - There is something special about starting each day out right with worship, prayer and study of God’s word. David wrote, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever." (Psa 100:4) When we enter into God’s kingdom arena let us begin with a song of thanks for who He is, what He has done and what He will do through us through the course of the day. David wrote, "Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul." (Psa 143:8) Know that the joy of the Lord is the morning is necessary to gain God’s navigations to chart the course for the day.
4. USE DIFFICULTIES OPPORTUNITIES TO REJOICE - James wrote, "Count it all joy when you encounter various trials, knowing that the trial of your faith works patience. Let patience have its perfect work that you may be mature and complete not lacking anything." (James 1:2,3) Ask the Lord to help you turn hardships into times of learning and spiritual growth. Tough times can teach us how to endure. Let us develop more of a positive perspective as we draw closer to Jesus as a result of our adversities. Paul wrote, "That I may know Him and the power of His resurection and the fellowship of His suffering, being conformed to Him even to His death." (Phil. 3:8) There are many ways that we gain a greater intimacy with the Lord Jesus through our sufferings. Let the troubles be an opportunity for joy as you consider what it can produce in your life.
5. REJOICE IN CHRIST’S VICTORY - Praise God for the fact that you have the victory over the world, the flesh, sin, death, hell and judgment because of what Christ did for you. John wrote, "And this is the victory that overcomes the world, evil our faith." (I John 5:4,5) Too many believers live defeated lives because they do not appropriate the fact of Christ’s overcoming victory. Thank God and tell others about how Christ’s victory has set you free from the chains of sin, carnal desires and feelings of hopelessness. We are more than conquerors through the one who loves us. (Rom. 8:37) Jesus said, "In the world you will have tribulations, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
6. CONSIDER THE ALTERNATIVE TO REJOICING IN THE LORD - We can chose to rejoice in the Lord or we will begin to murmur, complain and criticize others for our situation. People who fail to rejoice in the Lord become cynical individuals who have little faith in God’s providence. Grumpy people are hard to be around because they tend to look at the negatives instead of the positive opportunities provided by God. We can either choose to be better or bitter from every encounter. Cynical people even have a hard time enjoying the simplest pleasures and benefits that God freely gives them everyday.
7. REJOICE THROUGH OBEDIENT SERVICE - Jesus said, "If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obey my Father’s commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that you joy may be complete." (John 15:10,11) We can only be blessed and have peace and complete joy when we yield Him our body to His service.
Illustration: The old hymn says, "There is joy in serving Jesus. Joy that triumphs over pain. Joy that fills my heart with singing. Every hour and every day. There is joy, joy, joy in serving Jesus. Joy that floods within my heart. Every moment every hour. As I call upon His power. There is joy, joy, joy that never shall depart."
8. REJOICE IN OUR RESOURCES - Reflect upon all the bountiful resources we have in the word of God, the Holy Spirit and in Christ. Paul wrote, "If God be for us who can be against us. He who spared not His own Son, but gave Him up for us all will He not also with Him freely give us all things." (Rom. 8:31,32) Praise God that He has given us everything to us pertaining to life and godliness through the true knowledge of Him who calls us by His own glory and excellence." (2 Pet. 1:3) Take an inventory of your resources and count your blessings, name them one by one and it may surprise what the Lord has done, is doing and will do through His limitless resources.
9. REJOICE IN GODLY EXAMPLES - Consider how Job rejoiced at the end of his trials. Job wrote, "Lord, I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted... The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first." (Job 42:1,2 12)Even though the Lord allowed Job to go through difficult trials, the man of God learned more about God’s righteousness, sovereignty and things too wonderful for him to understand. (Job 42:2) Look at godly examples like Job and Paul who wrote, "As sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all things." (2 Cor. 4) Follow the faith of godly examples like Fanny Crosby who was blind from the age of 4 to 96 and wrote 4000 hymns such as, "I think of my blessed Redeemer. I think of HIm all the day long. I sing for I cannot be silent. His love is the theme of my song."
10. REJOICING COMES AS A FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT’S CONTROL - Do not think that you can rejoice without the filling, controlling and enabling of the Holy Spirit. The mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. (Rom. 8:6) Paul wrote, "So I say live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with one each other so that you do not do what you want." (Gal. 5:16,17) Ask the Lord to energize, empower and enlighten you with His joy so that you can overflow with the fruit of joy. David wrote, "In your presence is fullness of joy and in your right hand are pleasures forevermore." (Psa 16:9-11)
Song: (By Henry Van Dyke and the most famous of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy)
Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee, opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!
All Thy works with joy surround Thee, earth and heaven reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee, center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Singing bird and flowing fountain call us to rejoice in Thee.
Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blessed,
Wellspring of the joy of living, ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother, all who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine.
Mortals, join the happy chorus, which the morning stars began;
Father love is reigning o’er us, brother love binds man to man.
Ever singing, march we onward, victors in the midst of strife,
Joyful music leads us Sunward in the triumph song of life.
