Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
Whenever God wants to make us aware of something that is really important, He repeats it. Today's verse has a message that is so important that the Lord repeated the message in the same verse. What message is so important that God would repeat it in one verse? Rejoice! Rejoice! In other words, be glad, be well, be calmly happy. Not only does God want us to rejoice, but He wants us to do it always. How is that possible with so much going on around us these days? Well, there is one very important ingredient in our ability to rejoice always. That most important Ingredient is Jesus! God does not tell us to rejoice in our own strength. No, He very specifically tells us to rejoice in Jesus. For those who do not know, the Apostle Paul wrote this Book of the Bible, whose main theme is joy, from prison; yes, from prison. Not the comfortable prisons we know today, with cable TV, a gym, and a courtyard where they let prisoners get a breath of fresh air. It was a prison environment that today would be considered inhumane. Yet, the Apostle still found the strength, joy, and peace, to write to the church at Philippi, and encourage them to rejoice in the Lord and have joy and peace in their lives. Note in this same chapter of Philippians, verses 6-7, that we are told to bring our concerns to the Lord in prayer, and the peace of God that passes all understanding will guard our hearts and minds. The bottom line is that our response to life's challenges is not about our circumstances, but how we respond in Christ Jesus. If we have Jesus, and we are truly trusting in Him, and living by faith, then we have the ability to rejoice in Jesus, over and over again, as often as needed. So, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!"
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
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