We are encouraged repeatedly in the Bible
to Rejoice in the Lord.
And you'll find this translated as
Rejoice,
Exult,
Celebrate,
filled with joy,
full of joy,
be glad,
and some would say simply "Be Happy".
And Paul included, "Again I say Rejoice" in Philippians 4:4
So, I started asking --
"How exactly does one "rejoice" in the LORD?
These 3 ways came to my mind.
* First is by focusing on God's amazing creation.
And just how intelligent and powerful He truly is ( compared to us ).
* Second is by remembering all the great things he has done for you in the past
and others you know personally in your life,
Or by reflecting on
the many great things God has done for people throughout the ages,
as recorded in the Bible.
* Thirdly, by thinking upon the many promises we find His Word
and what He tells us is in store for us in the future,
because we are part of His family now.
1 )
His amazing Creation that is all around us...
You just need to take the time to look at nature
- put down your smartphone and take a walk outside.
See the birds gliding through the air
-sometimes in formation.
Fish "breathing" in the water.
Bees going from Flower to Flower.
Consider the unique aspects of LIFE
- air,
water,
sunlight,
The whole the chain of life
- plants sprouting from seeds
and all amazing diversification in the animal kingdom.
And how all of creation is interdependent.
Consider the creation of LIFE
- a miracle modern science can not even begin to duplicate.
We see variety in nature as only a master builder or an artist could create.
And the very fact that most LIFE requires both Male and Female to reproduce
should END any foolish thoughts of evolution
and random chance
being the source of our amazing planet Earth.
So, please....
spend some time IN NATURE,
and observe its wonders.
You might find yourself Rejoicing in the Lord.
2 )
And when you are in a quiet place
- start remembering ( and maybe writing down )
the times in your life when you saw
or felt God working directly on your behalf.
I have several times in my life
where I called out to the Lord for specific help in situations that were overwhelming me,
And I got answers or assistance quickly
- and a couple times INSTANTANEOUSLY!
You can likely think of a time or two that you sensed God working on your behalf.
And if you have never called upon the name of the Lord
- Try asking Him directly for help.
He will hear you.
He may not give you an immediate response
or things may not turn out as you had been hoping,
but if you have truly put a matter into His hands,
and asked for His help,
you can rest assured
the resulting conclusion of the matter will be the very best
- even if you don't see it at first.
A good place to start reviewing the many times
the Lord has acted on the behalf of others,
would be Hebrews Chapter 11.
Starting there, you can look up the events
behind the various people listed as examples for us to consider
- to help us strength our personal "faith" in God.
Hebrews 11:32-34
And what more shall I say?
Time will not allow me to tell of Gideon,
Barak,
Samson,
Jephthah,
David,
Samuel,
and the prophets,
administered justice,
and gained what was promised;
who shut the mouths of lions,
and escaped the edge of the sword;
who gained strength from weakness,
became mighty in battle,
and put foreign armies to flight.
3 )
And my favorite thing that excites me the most is,
THE FUTURE
That is where our minds really need to be focused.
Not in all the "temporary" things we see around us.
The world around us is a mess,
but it will be "fixed" by Jesus when He returns.
Keep in mind,
Philippians 3:20,21
For our citizenship is in heaven,
from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
who will transform the body of our lowly condition
into conformity with His glorious body,
by the exertion of the power that He has
even to subject all things to Himself.
**
Now those things should give you cause to REJOICE ( again I say Rejoice ).. sorry, I just love saying that :)
Once again,
we find the thoughts that we allow to fill our minds
will greatly influence
how we "feel" about the things in our lives.
Knowing ( believing ) in a God who loves you,
and who has provided a way to restore fellowship with you,
By His Grace
- through simple Faith
- His work
- Not yours.
should give you plenty of reason to have Hope.
And we can Rejoice in this Hope.
And I leave you with these verses:
Psalm 118:24 ( NASB )
This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us REJOICE and be GLAD in it.
Psalm 28:7 ( Amplified translation )
The LORD is my strength
and my [impenetrable] shield;
My heart trusts [with unwavering confidence] in Him,
and I am helped;
Therefore my heart greatly rejoices
( celebrates ),
And with my song I shall thank Him
and praise Him.
And since I can't sing very good,
Check out this great SONG to help you REJOICE in the LORD,
Also you can view a
-- Saved by Grace,
Andrew Cross
"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some,
but exhorting one another,
and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:23-25
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