Recent Devotions | Devotion Archive

Devotions

Rejoice in the Lord: Find True Joy and Happiness

Philippians 4:4
"Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice!"

When a dear friend of mine was a child, he had polio and as a result had some difficulty walking. As he grew, he also struggled with arthritis setting in on different parts of his body. The most obvious area affected by the arthritis was his neck, which fused and was not able to bend in different directions. Even with the many physical struggles he faced, he continued to praise God and gave Him glory for all that He had done for him, especially in Christ.

Recently, this friend of mine fell and hit his head in a way that his neck could not bend. His neck broke and he now lays in the hospital paralyzed from the neck down. His spinal cord was not severed and there is still the opportunity that feeling may come back. In the midst of all the uncertainty and suffering, he still continues to give God praise.

It is so easy to thank God and sing His praises when life is on a roll and everything is going great. We don't seem to have a care in the world, and we thank God for all the blessings He has given to us. The job is going well, no one is sick, the bills are being paid, our spouse is happy, we have a roof over our head, food on the table and life couldn't be better. It is easy for us to rejoice. But is this the way life really is? Of course not!

As with my friend, we face daily struggles that Satan uses to place doubt in our minds, causing us to wonder if God really loves us. We face daily hardships of this sinful world. And yet the Apostle Paul instructs us in the midst of hardship, pain, suffering, frustration and heartache to, "Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice!"

In fact, Paul speaks these words as he sits in jail under arrest for confessing his faith, and one would certainly think that under the circumstances, Paul would be filled with frustration and self-pity. You might think that he would certainly have reason to complain. But there is no indication of sadness or self-pity on the part of Paul at all. Instead he says, "Rejoice in the Lord always." Paul was rejoicing in the relationship that he had with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. As a child of God, he found reason for rejoicing in the certainty that in Jesus his sins were forgiven and he was given the true and certain promise of eternal life.

The ups and downs of this life are only temporary, and at best we can only find an artificial happiness in the things of this world. But we can have true joy and happiness knowing and trusting that in Jesus Christ, who shed His blood on the cross for our sins and rose victorious over sin, death and the devil, our sins are forgiven, and we too, along with Paul, have the certainty of eternal life. We can rejoice in the Lord for all of His gracious gifts. We too can say, "Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice!"

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be and abide with you always. Amen.