Rejoice
Grace and peace be yours this day in Jesus Christ our Lord!
Paul addresses us today as he makes the transition toward the end of his letter. He speaks the word “Finally” and then what he adds to it is a message we need to hear.
Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble for me, and it is a safeguard for you. Philippians 3:1
It seems strange that we should be turning toward the end of this epistle so soon, but as Paul’s letters go, this is a shorter one, having only four chapters. So, as he makes the turn toward the end the key thought he wishes to express is that the believers in Philippi should “rejoice.”
What exactly does it mean to rejoice? The dictionary can only guide us so far! To rejoice is to be glad or happy! Understood correctly this is true! But we also know that for many people happiness is an emotional state that changes with each new circumstance. When we are speaking of Biblical rejoicing the meaning goes much deeper!
To rejoice is to have a since of well-being which endures despite the circumstance we face in our lives. To rejoice is to lift our eyes off ourselves and our own personal circumstances and see objectively the blessings which have been abundantly poured out upon our lives. To rejoice is to celebrate God’s blessings and faithfulness to us.
Paul will encourage us again as we draw closer to the end of the letter with the words, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (4:4) Paul’s emphasis is that there is always the opportunity to rejoice in spite of what we are facing in our lives!
Apply this to our circumstances today! We have just endured another election cycle! Did your candidate of choice win? Are you on cloud nine, or is the sky falling for you? Are you celebrating or grieving? Filled with hope or fear? As I sit to write this article, the election is still a few weeks away and I can already tell you that I am personally tied up in knots about what is coming. But at the same time, I know that governments have risen and fallen since the beginning of time and God has been God over creation through them all. While the earthly circumstance may chance, what God has provided and promised cannot and will not change.
What is it which robs us of our ability to rejoice? It is when we focus on our momentary circumstances and not on God! For example, you receive a negative report from the doctor. It is a truly negative report, and it means that your time in this world is limited. Did you think beforehand that you would live forever? We all know our time in this world is limited and that death is but a doorway to the presence of God. Or could it be that finances are really tight and you are worried about the future! Everything we own is on loan to us from God and all He has provide is a gift. We are to use it to be blessed and to be a blessing! Do you think that He has run out of resource to bless you with? Is God broke? You may not eat steak, but you will eat! This is a promise form God and a blessing He will not fail to keep!
Everything I have said has to do with our temporal life! But what about eternity? What do we have in this life to truly worry about compared to what is in store for us in eternity? We worry about our children’s future! Well, have you prepared your kids for a future with God? If all you are preparing them for is a life successful by human standards, then you have reason to worry. If you want to have assurance for your children’s future, there is no greater reason to rejoice than to know they will be in heaven with you. To not have that assurance will truly rob you of your joy!
In the book of James we hear these words, “yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (4:14). To rejoice in the Lord is to live each moment with the reality that it could be your last and that God has provided a glorious future for you regardless of your circumstances in this world. There are far too many people who have put all their eggs in one basket. They are totally focused on life in this world and all they can have and accomplish. They give little if any thought about eternity until it is too late.
For you, Paul says we have every reason to rejoice because you are able to live each moment of your life with certainty for the future and confidence for the present. You know your future is secure in Christ and you have all the promises of God bearing down on you this very moment.
This letter of Paul to the Philippian Christians was intended to be a letter of encouragement. He was thankful for them and celebrating who they are as his brothers and sisters in Christ. As a true friend would do, Paul directs them to remember who they are and to rise above the momentary circumstances they face and rejoice because they are truly blessed!
I dare say the same can be said for each one of us who know Jesus as Savior. So, regardless of how the election turned out! We can rejoice today because ultimately, God is bigger than our president, government, or nation! He is our Savior and in Him we can rejoice always!
In Christ,
Pastor Russ
Paul addresses us today as he makes the transition toward the end of his letter. He speaks the word “Finally” and then what he adds to it is a message we need to hear.
Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble for me, and it is a safeguard for you. Philippians 3:1
It seems strange that we should be turning toward the end of this epistle so soon, but as Paul’s letters go, this is a shorter one, having only four chapters. So, as he makes the turn toward the end the key thought he wishes to express is that the believers in Philippi should “rejoice.”
What exactly does it mean to rejoice? The dictionary can only guide us so far! To rejoice is to be glad or happy! Understood correctly this is true! But we also know that for many people happiness is an emotional state that changes with each new circumstance. When we are speaking of Biblical rejoicing the meaning goes much deeper!
To rejoice is to have a since of well-being which endures despite the circumstance we face in our lives. To rejoice is to lift our eyes off ourselves and our own personal circumstances and see objectively the blessings which have been abundantly poured out upon our lives. To rejoice is to celebrate God’s blessings and faithfulness to us.
Paul will encourage us again as we draw closer to the end of the letter with the words, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (4:4) Paul’s emphasis is that there is always the opportunity to rejoice in spite of what we are facing in our lives!
Apply this to our circumstances today! We have just endured another election cycle! Did your candidate of choice win? Are you on cloud nine, or is the sky falling for you? Are you celebrating or grieving? Filled with hope or fear? As I sit to write this article, the election is still a few weeks away and I can already tell you that I am personally tied up in knots about what is coming. But at the same time, I know that governments have risen and fallen since the beginning of time and God has been God over creation through them all. While the earthly circumstance may chance, what God has provided and promised cannot and will not change.
What is it which robs us of our ability to rejoice? It is when we focus on our momentary circumstances and not on God! For example, you receive a negative report from the doctor. It is a truly negative report, and it means that your time in this world is limited. Did you think beforehand that you would live forever? We all know our time in this world is limited and that death is but a doorway to the presence of God. Or could it be that finances are really tight and you are worried about the future! Everything we own is on loan to us from God and all He has provide is a gift. We are to use it to be blessed and to be a blessing! Do you think that He has run out of resource to bless you with? Is God broke? You may not eat steak, but you will eat! This is a promise form God and a blessing He will not fail to keep!
Everything I have said has to do with our temporal life! But what about eternity? What do we have in this life to truly worry about compared to what is in store for us in eternity? We worry about our children’s future! Well, have you prepared your kids for a future with God? If all you are preparing them for is a life successful by human standards, then you have reason to worry. If you want to have assurance for your children’s future, there is no greater reason to rejoice than to know they will be in heaven with you. To not have that assurance will truly rob you of your joy!
In the book of James we hear these words, “yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (4:14). To rejoice in the Lord is to live each moment with the reality that it could be your last and that God has provided a glorious future for you regardless of your circumstances in this world. There are far too many people who have put all their eggs in one basket. They are totally focused on life in this world and all they can have and accomplish. They give little if any thought about eternity until it is too late.
For you, Paul says we have every reason to rejoice because you are able to live each moment of your life with certainty for the future and confidence for the present. You know your future is secure in Christ and you have all the promises of God bearing down on you this very moment.
This letter of Paul to the Philippian Christians was intended to be a letter of encouragement. He was thankful for them and celebrating who they are as his brothers and sisters in Christ. As a true friend would do, Paul directs them to remember who they are and to rise above the momentary circumstances they face and rejoice because they are truly blessed!
I dare say the same can be said for each one of us who know Jesus as Savior. So, regardless of how the election turned out! We can rejoice today because ultimately, God is bigger than our president, government, or nation! He is our Savior and in Him we can rejoice always!
In Christ,
Pastor Russ
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