Message
Beloved, the joy of the Lord is your strength (), and this is one of the major reasons you should rejoice in Him always (). No matter your current situation, if you think deeply about all that God has done for you, you will realise that you have more than enough to be joyful about. For example, if you currently have financial challenges but realise that you are enjoying divine health, you won’t be under any medical restrictions on what you can or can’t eat. Many years ago, I had a friend who could only feed on milk because of a health condition. Yet, before he died, he had millions of dollars in his bank accounts.
As Christians, we have many blessings to rejoice over; however, we often take them for granted. You may not realise the value of breathing until you see someone struggling to breathe. Likewise, you may not see sleeping and waking up as a blessing until you hear stories of people who died in their sleep. You may currently be facing numerous challenges and difficulties, but there is always a reason to rejoice.
encourages those who are yet to bear fruit to rejoice. This is because it is with joy that a fellow can draw water out of the wells of salvation (). When God wanted to answer Hannah’s prayer, He first ensured that her countenance was no longer sad (). Satan’s aim is to keep believers perpetually sorrowful, but when they choose to rejoice in the Lord always, they close the door to him.
In , the prophet said that he would rejoice in the Lord and joy in the God of his salvation. The Almighty God is the God of your salvation, meaning that you are assured of His salvation no matter what you face. This is another reason for you to rejoice in Him always. When you skip to the end of a movie and see that the main character is still alive, you will not be troubled if you go back to watch a scene where he or she is facing a near-death situation. Instead of getting worried, you will be at rest because you have seen the end of the movie.
Child of God, God has assured you in His word that your end is peace (). Never give in to fear or anxiety; rather, rejoice in the Lord always because with Christ in you, a glorious end awaits you ().