Rejoice!

Rejoice!

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4 NIV

Life will throw us curveballs. You can make the greatest plans, and be able to address all possible scenarios, yet God can turn those plans to nothing simply because He wants me to know that He is God. There is really no harm in making plans, but can I trust God enough to know that He is in charge, even when he takes me in a direction I do not know or foresee? Can I hold on to him, even when all that's familiar around me fails? There are some key words in the extract for today that require emphasis, which will help define what God expects from me. As we look at these words, may God's mind be made clear, and may I be tuned in to what he is doing and saying, so I can have peace.

Rejoice: this is defined as "to feel or show great joy or delight". It means that when I rejoice, there is both an inner and an outer witness. It is from the abundance of the heart that the month speaks, or the life manifests. There is a limit to pretence and pure hypocrisy, as the truth of my convictions will be laid bare after some time. It is also important to note that the word here flows from joy, not necessarily happiness. Joy is part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which means that for me to truly rejoice, I must have a measure of the Spirit of God. My joy is not tied to physical realities, but to the presence of God in me. 

In the Lord: this leads to the next important bit, which is the context of the joy I have. What drives your joy: physical possessions or Pure Presence? Men attach great importance to possessions, power, position and physical prosperity, and networth is mainly defined by these terms. Unfortunately, a man's life does not consist of the abundance of the things he possesses. You can get happiness from the latest acquisition, but as we all know, the latest gadget is only so for a few hours, days or months, until the latest update is released. You can't get joy from this reality, as all that you hold now will become stale if you give it enough time. The only person in your life who never becomes stale is the Lord. He is always current, relevant and contemporary. Is He enough for you? 

Again, rejoice: it is repeated here for emphasis. It is repeated so that I can know how important it is for me to have the right attitude and mentality to all that God brings my way. In the event that I did not hear it well the first time, I am reminded again of the right response to all that God brings: rejoice. God does not promise perpetually blue skies and a life free of trials, but he promises me his Presence. When he is with me, there is nothing that can overwhelm me. If nothing can overpower him, then there is nothing that can threaten me as long as he is in and with me. Guess the most important question of all of life is this: who or what do I have in me, that will sustain me for all of life? It has to be right, if my life will turn out right. God's time of favour is here.