REJOICE

"Whatever happens, my dear brothers and 

sisters, rejoice in the Lord.  I never get tired

of telling you these things, and I do it to 

safeguard your faith."  

(Philippians 3:1 NLT)

In my browsing around in the book of Philippians

I almost pasted over this verse because the same 

thought - rejoice - is again brought out in chapter

four and verse four.  Then a truth caught my attention;

rejoice "... to safeguard your faith."

I do not know what all benefits there are to rejoicing.

But we are told by the prophet Nehemiah;

"... for the joy of the LORD is your strength!"  

(Nehemiah 8:10 NLT)

However another fact occurred to me.  I was not

rejoicing, being glad, or happy in the Lord at the

time because;

I knew for a couple of days I was not living and

acting the way God wanted me to and my conscious 

was bothering me.

I had to conclude that if I am not rejoicing in the

Lord, something is wrong with me and I need to

straighten up.  That is a safeguard in it's self.

The Bible is full of the word rejoice or rejoicing.

It will vary from one version to another because

sometimes they use the word "rejoice / rejoicing"

or, "happy" or "glad" etc.  But in one version of 

the Bible in Paul's writings alone he uses the word

20 times.  An in the New Testament it is used 43

times, and in the Psalms it is used 54 times, so,

rejoicing must be important in God's sight.

"Always be joyful."  

(1 Thessalonians 5:16 NLT)

When I consider all that God has done for me through

the death of Jesus Christ in my place - how can I help

but rejoice - even if things are not going the way I want

at the time.

  

"So rejoice in the LORD and be glad, all you

who obey him!

Shout for joy, all you whose hearts

are pure."     

(Psalms 32:11 NLT)

"This is the day the LORD has made.

we will rejoice and be glad in it." 

(Psalms 118:24 NLT)