“We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” – Romans 5:3-5
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” – Romans 15:13
Rejoice in the Lord always.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! – Philippians 4:4
The world and its secularist ways propose that happiness is found in the latest fad, the newest things, looking out the best. If I could just have this or that then I will be happy.
Note that Jesus does not use the word “happy” but “blessed.” During the Gospel on the Beatitudes. Matthew (5:1-10) and Luke (6:20-23), are an invitation to a way of living that brings true happiness and both inward and outward peace. The values that Jesus presents in the Sermon on the Mount are counter cultural.
Beatitude” is Latin for “an abundant happiness”. In His lesson on the Beatitudes, Jesus calls us to an abundant happiness that makes us complete and whole, in which we find our true selves. Being poor in spirit leads us to humbleness before God. We become poor in spirit when everything we are relying on falls apart. That is the exact moment when You look into the eyes of Jesus and find eternal joy.
Being content means that regardless of my circumstances, my possessions, or my status, I know that I am a child of God who loves me and will meet my needs now and forever. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, and when we find joy it’s infused with comfort and wrapped in peace. Regardless of one’s faith, joy is present inside everyone as an untapped reservoir of potential.
It’s possible to experience joy in difficult times. It’s possible to know joy or feel joy despite grief or uncertainty. Joy doesn’t need a smile in order to exist. Although joy does feels better with a happy smile, joy can share space with other emotions — sadness, fear, anger … even unhappiness. Happiness can’t. Happiness isn’t present in darkness and difficulty.
There are a lot of things that can bring us joy. If we continue to look for joy in the worldly things, we will continually be let down, and our joy will disappear. Where should we look for joy? Where should we turn to find joy that isn’t fleeting?
My shadow turn into rainbow
Let God be your umbrella, your shelter from the storm. So, no matter the storm you’re facing place your trust in God and find safe harbor in his arms, and after the storm the sun will shine again.
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
Now you think, how can I be joyful in God when I go through trials? I think the real problem is we are only looking at this trial from a short and tainted view. We aren’t looking at it eternally. Look what the bible has to say about trials.
“We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” – Romans 5:3-5
Trials teach us something and make us more like Him. We should rejoice in this. He wants to make us better people. Stand firm with joy from the Lord in your trials. You will undoubtedly confuse a lot of people, but you will also be thankful for what God is doing. Be content with what You have.
We shouldn’t find joy in the things of this world, but we should find them in Jesus.
Becoming a Believer was never meant to satisfy temporary earthly pleasures, but instead to realign, redeem, and restore our eternal relationship and joy with Jesus Christ.
Let my lifesong sing to you
We can rejoice today because of what God is doing in the trial but because of what He has already done for us in Christ and because of our secure and intimate relationship with Him.
- because we have Christ, no matter what is going on around us, there is always reason to rejoice;
- because Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever;
- because His grace is always sufficient; because His love never ends;
- because He has delivered us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light; because His blood has washed away our sin;
- because He never leaves us nor forsakes us;
- because of His great love for us;
- because of our relationship with Him…we can rejoice.
We can rejoice because of Christ. He is worthy of rejoicing—always! This joy is only possible in Him. He is our one, true, great, and perfect reward. He is the light at the end of the longest tunnel of trial.
Let’s ask for God to deepen our relationship with Him, and to look to Him whenever the temporary pain and persecution of this life rises against us. When it comes to trials we usually want out, but so often it is the Lord’s love that wants us in. In the trials You experience the power of God, his miracles trial might even be designed by Him out of His deep love for us, to bring us closer to Him,. God intends to use it to fashion us, purify us, and perfect us for His glory and for our ultimate joy if we hold his hand and walk with Him through it.
Let us rejoice in the Lord always. Let our lifelong sings to him. Let us be the message of the eternal joy that we find in our God
Dear God, Help me to seek You today, and to know You more during every season from tears to songs of joy. God, I confess that I am fearful and anxious about many things – some big things and some so small that I am embarrassed to admit that I am too ambitious to have the next worthless toy. But they rob me of ‘great joy.’ I yield all of my fears and anxieties to You, God. I choose to trust You… and I make room for ‘great joy’ . AMEN
