COMMANDED
TO REJOICE
Memorise:
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord,
Read:
Philippians 4:1-7, 4 Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed
for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.
2 I beseech Euodias, and beseech
Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord.
3 And I intreat thee also, true
yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement
also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and
again I say, Rejoice.
5 Let your moderation be known unto
all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every
thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made
known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth
all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Bible
in one year: Luke 2:22-4:15, Job 22: 1-11
The
commandment to rejoice seems to be a repeated theme in the book of Philippians.
First, Philippians 2:18, then 3:1, and 4:4. Why did Paul pay so much attention
to the word rejoice? On a closer look at all, rather, Paul’s emphasis is on the
term “rejoice in the Lord”. He was trying to draw a line between the common
rejoicing that happens to all human beings and the art of rejoicing in the
Lord. God wants us to know that joy is a matter of realm, because there are
diverse types of joy and it is the realm of joy that makes the difference.
There is a
rejoicing that is common to all men, it is a feeling of joy that depends on
situations and circumstances around us and it is temporal and short-lived: this
joy is unsubstantial and evanescent. However, there is a delight that comes
with God’s presence, it is divine and powerful; the joy of the Lord. This joy
is also called the ‘joy of salvation’, it is real, it is a great kind of joy,
it is endless, and an everlasting joy that brings down the presence of God into
the hearts of men. Apostle Peter had this to say about this kind of rejoicing
in 1st Peter 1:8:
“Whom
having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye
rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:”
What makes
rejoicing in the Lord so important that God had to repeatedly command us to
rejoice? It is the very first miracle that happens to a person when he becomes
born again. The joy of the Lord is immediately shed in the heart of the fellow.
The unspeakable expression of the joy of salvation is therefore the most vital
and undeniable proof that a person is genuinely born of God. The wisdom of God
commanded it repeatedly in the Bible, and emphasised it in Philippians at least
for two major reasons. First, being born again is a spiritual walk with God,
the joy of the Lord is the token of our connectedness to God, losing the joy
therefore, is another token of disconnection from God. You will never be
disconnected from God in Jesus’ name. Secondly, God knows that a genuine conversion
to Christianity would cause a forceful separation and disconnection from the
worldly system of thought and action, which naturally leads to rejection,
persecution, and diverse temptations. Therefore, the joy of the Lord is
provided as an offensive weapon of consolation, encouragement, and strength in
the face of persecution. That is why Philippians 4:4 says;
“Rejoice in
the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.”
God
commanded His people to rejoice, He was not giving a suggestion or permission,
neither did He make it a matter of choice. We are compelled to rejoice in the
Lord as a necessary ingredient to the Christian faith. Rejoicing is founded on
and derived through the Word of God, it is needful in affliction, it brings
comfort and strength to press forward in times of trouble.
Prayer
Point
Father,
please fill my heart with your heavenly joy, that is all I need from You today.
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