Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice (Philippians 4:4).
Hey, how are you this morning? How are things going for you?
Going well? Glad to hear it. Rejoice!
Not going so well? Rejoice!
Really?
Well, God didn't say, "Okay. So you only need to rejoice when the sun is shining and everything in your life is all rosy."
He says, "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice."
You might be thinking, "Hmm... that's easy for you to say. I don't have anything to rejoice about."
Really?
If you know Christ as your Savior you have plenty to rejoice about.
- Rejoice in the love of God for you.
- Rejoice in His great mercy poured out on your life.
- Rejoice in His promise of eternal life.
- Rejoice is the knowledge that He sees, He knows and He cares.
- Rejoice in the security that you belong to Him and He will never let you go.
- Rejoice in His still small voice that brings peace and assurance to your heart.
We could go on and on, listing all the spiritual blessings that are ours in Christ. We've been chosen, adopted, redeemed, forgiven, made alive, saved, brought near, and made a part of His body. (See Ephesians 1&2).
No matter what your eyes may see in front of you, you know who lives within you. Sometimes you may feel defeated, but you know Who has already won the victory! There are days when you might feel you don't have the strength to keep going, but you have access to the Source of all strength.
God, the all-powerful Creator of the universe has promised to hold your hand, never leave you, to go before you and to be your rear guard (Isaiah 41:13, Hebrews 13:5, Deuteronomy 9:3, Isaiah 52:12). He's got you back, He's there with you and He's leading the way!
You have every reason to rejoice!
I have every reason to rejoice!
We have every reason to rejoice!
Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice (Philippians 4:4).
Did you know your walk says a lot about who you are? Some people walk tall and confidently, as if with purpose and direction. Some walk with their shoulders stooped and their head down, as if they are carrying a huge weight on their shoulders. Others walk slowly and hesitatingly, as if feeling unbalanced and unsure which way to go.
Most of us, if we're honest, would probably say our walk has reflected each of those examples at one time or another in our lives.
The Bible has a lot to say about our walk, meaning how we live our lives before the Lord. Colossians 1 records Paul's prayer for his fellow believers in the city of Colossae. Part of his prayer is displayed in the picture above.
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing... (Colossians 1:10).
What does it mean to "walk worthy of the Lord"? It seems the rest of the chapter provides us with some answers. We are reminded:
- of the Father who has made us fit to partake in an inheritance in heaven (v12)
- that we have been delivered from the power of darkness (v13)
- that we have been taken out of darkness and brought into the kingdom of His dear Son (v13)
- that we have been forgiven and redeemed by the blood of Christ (v14)
- that Jesus, our Redeemer is the sovereign God and Creator of all things (v15-18)
- that Jesus reconciled us to God and brought us peace by His blood (v20-21)
- that Jesus died to present us, holy and blamesless, to the Father (v22)
- that Christ, the hope of glory, lives within us (v27)
Walking worthy of the Lord means living our lives in such a way that we reflect Christ who lives within us.
Walking worthy of the Lord means living as those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, taken out of darkness and reconciled to the Father.
Walking worthy of the Lord means surrendering our lives to the authority of Jesus, our Redeemer, the sovereign God and Creator of all things, for His glory alone.
My prayer for you and for me today is...
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing (Colossians 1:10).
People who have followed a difficult path in life sometimes wonder where God is in the midst of their sorrow, their pain, their troubles and their uncertainty.
David, the writer of Psalm 139. ran for his life from a king with murder in his eyes. He was seared with the pain of losing a child. And, David's own son betrayed him and tried to take his kingdom from him.
David knew sorrow, pain, trouble and uncertainty but he was certain of one thing. No matter where he went, no matter what happened, David was convinced in his heart that God would always be right there with him.
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me (Psalm 139:8-10).
Even there.
Even there in the pain. Even there in the sorrow. Even there in the trouble. Even there in the uncertainty. God is there. Even there.
If you know Christ as your Savior, you can count on His promise:
I will never leave thee, nor forsake (Hebrews 13:5).
No matter how bad the circumstances you face may seem, you can be assured of His presence, His care and His love. Even there. Even there His hand will lead you. Even there, His right hand will hold you.
Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
Even there.
