Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!
Paul felt rejoicing in the goodness of God was so important that he tells us twice in this verse from Philippians to rejoice. He urges in the following verses not to fret or have any anxiety about anything but to pray and give thanks to God in everything—not after everything is over.
If we wait until everything is perfect before rejoicing and giving thanks, we won’t have much fun. Learning to enjoy life even in the midst of trying circumstances is one way we grow closer to God. Paul also writes that we “are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18). That means we can enjoy the glory we are experiencing at each level of our development, because each new day is another step toward the person God is shaping us to be.
When I first started my ministry, my happiness was dependent on my circumstances. Finally the Lord showed me the doorway to happiness. He gave me a breakthrough by teaching me that fullness of joy is found in His “presence”—not in His “presents” (Psalm 16:11).
Prayer of the Day: Lord, I need You and I love you. Please help me to give thanks in all circumstances and teach me to find joy in Your presence, no matter what is going on around me, so that I might grow closer to You each day, amen.
