“Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” Phil. 4:4
By Michael Adekoya – Dear Readers, the Christian life is a life of joy. This does not mean that believers will never experience sorrow, disappointment, trials, opposition or difficult circumstances. Rather, it means that in the midst of everything we encounter in life, we have an unchanging reason to rejoice in the Lord. Paul’s instruction is even more remarkable because he wrote Philippians while experiencing imprisonment and hardship. His joy was therefore not dependent upon comfortable circumstances. He had learned that Christian joy has a deeper foundation, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
What it means to “rejoice in the Lord”: First of all, to rejoice means to experience and express joy, gladness and delight. But Paul does not simply tells us to rejoice; he tells us where our rejoicing should be located, “in the Lord.” The phrase “in the Lord” is the foundation of the command. Paul does not say, “Rejoice in your circumstances.” Circumstances change. He says, “Rejoice in the Lord,” because the Lord does not change. Our health may change. Our finances may change. People may change. Our plans may change. Our circumstances may change. But Jesus Christ remains the same (Heb. 13:8). Therefore, our joy can remain stable even when our circumstances are unstable. To rejoice in the Lord means to find our deepest satisfaction, confidence and hope in God Himself. It means that our joy is ultimately rooted not in what God gives us but in who God is.
Rejoicing is a choice of faith: Christian rejoicing is not merely an emotion. It is also an act of faith. There are times when we may not feel like rejoicing. We may be facing disappointment, waiting for an answer to prayer, dealing with uncertainty or walking through a difficult season. Yet Scripture says, “Rejoice in the Lord always”. This means that we can choose to focus our hearts upon God’s character even when our emotions are struggling. Habakkuk expressed this kind of faith when he declared, “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” Habak. 3:18. Habakkuk was looking at circumstances that could have produced fear and discouragement, but he deliberately chose to rejoice in God. This is powerful faith: “Even if I cannot rejoice about everything that is happening, I can still rejoice in the Lord.”
Our joy is rooted in God’s character: The reason we should rejoice in the Lord is because He is good. Psa. 100:5 says, “For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” God’s goodness gives us a reason to rejoice. His faithfulness gives us a reason to rejoice. His mercy gives us a reason to rejoice. His love gives us a reason to rejoice. His grace gives us a reason to rejoice. His promises give us a reason to rejoice. Even when we cannot understand our circumstances, we can trust God’s character. We may not know what tomorrow will bring, but we know the One who holds tomorrow. Therefore, Christian joy is not based upon having all the answers. It is based upon knowing and trusting God.
Rejoice because of your salvation: One of the greatest reasons for Christian rejoicing is our salvation. Jesus told His disciples, “Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”Luke 10:20. Our greatest blessing is not material prosperity or earthly success. It is that through faith in Jesus Christ, we have been reconciled to God. Our sins have been forgiven. We have been justified by faith. We have become children of God. We have received the Holy Spirit. We have eternal life. We have hope beyond this present world. These blessings cannot be taken away by temporary circumstances. Even when earthly possessions disappear, our salvation remains secure in Christ. Therefore, the believer always has a reason to rejoice.
Rejoice because the Lord is with and in you: Another reason we can rejoice is the presence of God. God promised His people, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Heb. 13:5. The presence of God transforms how we face life’s challenges. We may walk through the valley, but we are not walking alone. Psalm 23:4 declares, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.” Notice that the psalm does not say there will be no valley. It says that God’s presence is with us in the valley. The presence of the Lord gives us courage when we are afraid, strength when we are weak and hope when we are discouraged. We can rejoice because God is with and dwells in us.
Rejoicing gives us strength: The Bible says in Neh. 8:10, “The joy of the LORD is your strength.” There is spiritual strength in rejoicing. Discouragement can cause us to focus excessively on our problems. Rejoicing redirects our attention to God. When we praise God, we remind ourselves of His faithfulness. When we worship Him, we declare that our circumstances are not greater than our God. When we give thanks, we remember what He has already done. This is why praise can become a weapon against discouragement. Paul and Silas demonstrated this in Acts 16. After being beaten and imprisoned, they prayed and sang praises to God at midnight. Their worship was not based upon their comfort. It was based upon their confidence in God.
Rejoicing changes our perspective: Rejoicing does not necessarily change our circumstances immediately, but it can change our perspective on those circumstances. A person who continually looks at the problem may become overwhelmed by its size. But when we turn our eyes towards God, we begin to see the problem in the light of God’s greatness. David faced Goliath, but he did not see Goliath as greater than God. The disciples saw a storm, but Jesus was in the boat. Paul faced imprisonment, but he continued to rejoice. The presence and power of God give us a different perspective. Rejoicing therefore helps us to say, “My situation may be difficult, but my God is faithful.” “My resources may be limited, but my God is sufficient.” “I may not know what lies ahead, but I know who walks with me.”
Rejoice always: Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord always.” The word “always” leaves no room for a seasonal Christianity in which we rejoice only when everything goes according to our plans. We rejoice when prayers are answered. We rejoice while waiting for answers. We rejoice when doors open. We rejoice when doors close, trusting that God knows what is best. We rejoice in abundance. We rejoice in seasons of difficulty. Our joy is not determined by circumstances because its foundation is the Lord. This does not mean that we ignore grief or pretend that pain does not exist. Christians can mourn and still have joy. Jesus wept, yet He remained perfectly secure in the Father’s will. Biblical joy is deeper than temporary happiness.
“Again I say, rejoice”: Paul repeats the command, “And again I say, Rejoice.” Why the repetition? Because we are prone to forget. We can become distracted by problems. We can become discouraged by delays. We can become anxious about the future.
Paul therefore reminds us again, Rejoice! When the enemy says, “Look at your circumstances,” look at the Lord. When fear says, “There is no hope,” remember God’s promises. When disappointment says, “God has forgotten you,” remember His faithfulness. When weakness says, “You cannot continue,” remember that the joy of the Lord is your strength. Again I say, rejoice!
In conclusion: Phil. 4:4 is both a command and an invitation, “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” Our joy is not founded upon possessions, achievements, favourable circumstances or the approval of people. Our joy is founded upon the Lord Jesus Christ. We rejoice because He has saved us. We rejoice because He loves us. We rejoice because He is with and in us. We rejoice because He is faithful.
We rejoice because His promises are true. We rejoice because our future is secure in Him. Therefore, whatever season we may be passing through, let us lift our eyes above our circumstances and fix them upon Christ. The Lord is still good. The Lord is still faithful. The Lord is still with and in us. The Lord is still worthy of praise. So, my dear friends, rejoice in the Lord! When the answer comes rejoice. While you are waiting rejoice. When the journey is easy rejoice. When the road is difficult rejoice.
When you understand rejoice. When you do not understand rejoice. Because our joy is not ultimately in what is happening around us; our joy is in the Lord. Remain blessed!
