REJOICE

  
Good morning to you!

Was your night a good one? My husband wakes me up and says goodbye when he leaves every morning if I am not already up. Well, today he woke me up and then I went back to sleep and could not remember that he even woke me up. I guess I wasn't awake. I have no clue as to what time he actually left. I know it was before daylight. Ugh!

Yesterday we were talking about joy and I wanted to finish. The main verse I actually wanted to talk about yesterday, and never got to was:
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 
Philippians 4:4

There is a praise song of this verse also. REJOICE is what we are supposed to do always. We are to live it. When we dwell on whatever trials we are going through and not on Jesus, we don't rejoice. Paul said in Philippians 4:11:

 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

Now this could be a material need or sickness need or whatever Paul needed. Are we content in every circumstance so that we are constantly rejoicing? I think not. I know it doesn't say Paul was rejoicing in verse 11 but Philippians 4:4 is only 7 verses before verse 11. I know that Paul was talking about material need in verse 11 but it could have been any need. So, he is telling us to be content and quit complaining.

 That is what I want to do. I want to rejoice and be content. As the saying goes these days, "it is what it is". And so we must rejoice and not dwell on the negative circumstances going on. 

We must live in the Spirit. Living in the Spirit is living a transparent life. It is a life of obedience to the LORD God, and it is the very life of Jesus Christ Himself given to us by the Holy Spirit.


The normal Christian life is one that is willing to follow the Holy Spirit in complete obedience, without reservation, and disown self. It means to commit yourself literally, utterly, completely in unreserved obedience to Him. 

Obedience to the Holy Spirit means freedom. There is great freedom in the spiritual life that comes as we yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit. The reason it is so freeing is that it is cut loose from subtle selfishness. And when we focus on ourselves we can't rejoice in the Lord always.

So, let's cut loose and rejoice in the Lord always. Let our light shine before men. It certainly doesn't mean that we don't have trials, it just means we are putting God before those trials. As it should be!

Have a blessed day and every day being filled with joy and then rejoicing in the Lord!

Les  







 

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