Joy —whenever, Wherever!

TO READ: Philippians 4:1-5

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again —rejoice!

Philippians 4:4

We are to be “full of joy in the Lord” (Philippians 4:4). If we know how to do that, we won’t be depressed by our circumstances.

We are not told to rejoice about the tragedies of life, but we are encouraged to rejoice in the Lord when hard times come. He promises to comfort us when we are mistreated and to help us to bravely endure when we suffer. We will be able to survive our circumstances with his help because he has already survived his circumstances as the God-man, Jesus of Nazareth. In Christ we have available to us all the support of heaven.

We are to rejoice in our relationship with him always. That doesn’t mean just when the sun is shining; it means when it rains, hails, snows, and even if a tornado hits our life! Always means “always.”

Joy is the badge of the believer. Paul, writing from his prison cell, emphasized the inability of circumstances to stifle his enjoyment of the Lord. “Always be full of joy in the Lord,” he exhorted the beloved Philippian believers; “I say it again —rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). When we can’t praise him for what he has allowed, we can thank him for who he is in the midst of what he has allowed! This does not mean that we do not mourn with those who mourn, but it does mean that we point discouraged people to Jesus —the source of joy.