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

The Apostle Paul calls believers to rejoice at all times and he repeats the call for emphasis. This includes the bad times as well as the good. Christians should be known as joyful people. Such joy resides not in circumstances or positive attitudes toward life. Joy reigns in your heart only when Christ is Lord of your life. No matter how dark the circumstances of your life may be, there is always a reason for you to be joyful. The secret to this exhortation is found in these three words in the Lord. Sometimes the trials and pressures of life make it almost impossible for you to be happy. But Paul did not tell his readers to be happy, rather he encouraged them to rejoice in the Lord. Christ is the One in whom the source of rejoicing was to take place. Surely there are many circumstances in which you cannot be happy. But you can always rejoice in the Lord and delight in Him. Paul himself was an excellent example of one who had inner joy when external circumstances, such as persecution, imprisonment, and the threat of death, were against him. So you can too, with the Lord’s help.

Challenge:

Please notice, again, that Paul says to rejoice twice in this verse because he knows how important and necessary it is for Gods people to be actively joyful in their lives. Are you a joyful person that regularly delights in your relationship with God your Savior? Sure, there may be plenty of things to complain about, but I suggest to you that there is equally just as much to be thankful for in the Lord. Your challenge this week is to rejoice in the Lord regardless of the difficult things that may come your way. When your finances seem insufficient to meet your needs, rejoice in the fact that God has already given you so much by saving you and supplying you with the Holy Spirit. Conditions that are far more valuable than earthly riches. When you feel overwhelmed at your workplace with all the demands that your job has asked you to accomplish, rejoice in the fact that God will be your strength when you feel weak. The more you rejoice in the Lord, the better you will be able to endure tough times. The greater you focus on God and all the blessings He has already provided for you, the more you will come to realize that He will get you through everything that comes your way. God bless you.