Why a Believer Must Rejoice in the Lord Always
There are many verses in the Bible that command
the believer to rejoice and be glad (Psalm 32:11,
40:16, 68:3, 70:4, to list a few). Some even
command us specifically to rejoice in the midst of
trouble (Psalm 34:1, Matt. 5:12, and John 16:33).
As believers, we have every reason to rejoice. We
are deeply loved (Psalm 103:11), highly favored
(Ephesians 1:6) and greatly blessed (Ephesians
1:3). "If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die,
we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we
belong to the Lord." (Romans 14:8). This alone is
worth rejoicing over! We have a treasure the world
does not have; we have the Lord Jesus Christ who
is anointed with the oil of joy. (see Hebrews 1:9).
We need to be "rooted and built up in him,
strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and
overflowing with thankfulness."
(Colossians 2:7NIV).
Indeed, believers who understand the value of the
relationship we have with Christ and the blessings
we have in Him will always rejoice. Ephesians 1:3
says we're blessed with ALL spiritual blessings in
heavenly places in Christ. This should make you
sing with the psalmist: "I will extol the Lord at all
times; his praise will always be on my lips."
(Psalm 34:1 NIV).
"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life..." (2Peter 1:3 NIV). God has given the believer power that is equal in strength to the power that raised Christ from the dead (see Ephesians 1:19-20). As a believer, God "satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s." (Psalm 103:5 NIV). God's love has been poured out into your heart through the power of the Holy Spirit that has been given to you (see Romans 5:5). Galatians 5:22 also says the fruits of the Spirit include joy. Thus, the apostle Paul exhorts believers to "Rejoice in the Lord always.
I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4 NIV).
Unfortunately, many believers rejoice in the Lord
only when they're in favorable circumstances,
when things are going well. But that is not faith.
We need to learn, like Paul, to be content whatever
the circumstances (see Philippians 4:11). Paul
also advices believers not to be anxious about
anything but to respond to every situation with
prayer and thanksgiving, and present our petitions
to God. (see Philippians 4:6-7). A believer
shouldn't be anxious about ANYTHING. This
includes financial problems, sicknesses, pain, and
even death. God has already given us victory over
all of these things. Everything we need, we've
already got! (see Ephesians 1:3). We just have to
believe and release these blessings by faith.
Besides, the Bible does not promise that the
believer will not face hardships. On the contrary,
the Bible is emphatic that "everyone who wants to
live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be
persecuted." (2 Timothy 3:12). In fact, if you're a
believer and you have not yet been persecuted,
you need to reevaluate your life. Maybe there's
not enough evidence that you're a believer.
also Read:
why women love wedding than marriage Persecution, for a believer, is not even a matter of
if; it's a matter of when. It can come at any time
and in any form. It could be as simple as people
rolling their eyes at you for preaching the true
gospel or living a godly life in Christ. Some
people (including family and friends) will abandon
you; others will insult you; some will threaten you
or even assault you physically; you may even be
imprisoned for His name's sake. Jesus Himself
faced the worst form of persecution and He tells
us (His disciples) in John 16:33 that we will also
face persecution in this world. Yet He says we
should be of good cheer because He has
overcome the world. Jesus says we shouldn't let
our hearts be troubled! (John 14:1).
Paul also assures us that "the sufferings of this
present time are not worthy to be compared with
the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Romans
8:18). No wonder when Paul was beaten with rods
and thrown in the deepest darkest part of the
prison, he and Silas broke out in praise at
midnight (see Acts 16:22-26) rejoicing in the
Lord. Paul would later describe all our afflictions
and persecutions as "light and momentary
troubles achieving for us an eternal glory that far
outweighs them all." (2 Corinthians 4:17). In the
next verse, he encourages believers to "fix our
eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,
since what is seen is temporary, but what is
unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV).
Paul's advice is that we put all our persecutions
and troubles in the context of eternity. Our
persecutions and problems become insignificant
when compared to the glory that awaits us. We
should rejoice through them all knowing that there
is greater eternal glory awaiting us. It is our
anchor in eternity that keeps our hearts from being
troubled. It is also what will enable us to always
"enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts
with praise" (Psalm 100:4).
The Bible says God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3).
In the Old Testament, God said He was going to
bring judgment upon the nation of Israel because
they did not serve the Lord joyfully and gladly (see
Deut 28:47-57). This points to the importance
God attaches to rejoicing and being glad in the
Lord. God wants us to rejoice always because it is
for our own good. Nehemiah 8:10 says the joy of
the Lord is our strength.
Rejoicing in the Lord also involves saturating our mind with thoughts of God's goodness and mercies toward us. And as we keep our minds steadfast on God, He will keep us in perfect peace because of our trust in Him. (see Isaiah 26:3).
May God help you to never stop rejoicing.
I share this message, “For I am not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God
unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the
Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16)
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