Rejoice

Meditation

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

(1 Thessalonians 5.16-18)

I have been saved from the clutches of sin and where sin would eventually lead me. That is where my joy comes from. I was totally lost before Jesus plucked me out of the darkness. I have so many other reasons to rejoice that it’s not hard for me to find one or two each day to give thanks for. As if my salvation wasn’t enough, all my relationships are better today than they were before. Both my personal and casual associations have benefited after my submission to Christ. It was as if the Lord taught me how to love, which is exactly what he did and is still doing. I know I am still learning how to express that love, but I am light years ahead of where I used to be. I am so blessed since I gave my heart to the Lord.

Even though my life isn’t always carefree and happy, I still have things to be thankful for. Even in times of testing, if I just think back to my life before Jesus. Even though I thought I was doing all right, I know now, I was in some kind of denial. I didn’t even know what real happiness is, and before being saved, I had no idea how to judge. I can only rejoice about what my life is like now. It’s when I’m down in those valleys of life, that’s where my prayers come in. That’s when I’m drawn closer to God. The Lord doesn’t ask me to give thanks only when everything is fine, and I haven’t a care in the world. No, he says to give thanks always, in all circumstances. That means, no matter if I’m up on the mountain top or down in the valley, I’m to always rejoice and give thanks for everything.

God doesn’t expect us to jump for joy when things aren’t going so well. There’s a difference between inner joy and outward happiness. He wants us to remember everything he’s done for us. He knitted us together in our mother’s womb. He protects us until we realize we need a savior, then he blesses us every day after that.  If we start out our prayers by rejoicing and giving thanks, the will of the Father is fulfilled. The rest of our prayer can then be filled with asking for his help with our needs and supplications for other situations. Have you ever heard someone say they don’t know what God’s will is for them? Here’s a good place to start.

Prayer Time

God of all creation, you are the reason we can say, “Hallelujah,” with a bold voice. You take all our fears away when we lay our sins at the foot of the cross. Being rescued from the terrible fate of an eternity in hell is enough of a reason to rejoice forever. We rejoice every day with the jubilant hearts you have given us. Even on the days when trouble is resting squarely on our shoulders, we remind ourselves of the mercy and grace you have shown us and find reason to rejoice. Father the gift of your Son, who willingly sacrificed himself on the cross to save us from our sins. Is there anything more important than that in our lives? Can we rejoice in anything more than that? We have many things we can find joy in, such as marrying our life partner, the birth of children, new jobs or promotions. They all pale in comparison to our salvation moment. We are eternally grateful for your mercy for not giving us what we deserve, eternity in hell. We are grateful for your grace for giving us what we don’t deserve, eternal life with you. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen!