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Tuesday, November 19, 2019

1 Thessalonians 5:16 11/19/2019*

Rejoice always

This is a good memory verse for two reasons:
First – it’s short …Second - it will change your life.

This verse is not a suggestion ... God is not saying “hey, it might be good if you thought about incorporating joy into your day”.  He is commanding you to rejoice always… And the Greek translation means “rejoice always”.  So, the instruction is clear…

But how is it done?...  How do I rejoice in a broken world full of pain? How do I rejoice at a funeral…a divorce…a medical report with terrible news? 

Part of our problem is our confusion between the words “joy” and “happiness”. Happiness is a flimsy, circumstantial emotion- and suggesting that we should be happy at any of the above listed examples is misguided. 


The confusion exists because our culture has morphed the two words together. If you google “Joy” it is defined as “a feeling of great pleasure and happiness” …which is not an accurate definition of biblical joy.

The most glaring difference is that biblical Joy is a condition not an emotion.
Joy is permanent. It is a gift from God. It is fruit of the Holy Spirit and it doesn’t change with circumstances.

Not only is it permanent but Nehemiah says, “the joy of the Lord is your strength”. So again…how do we do it? How do we obtain joy so we can have strength?

We do it by choice.  Instead of obsessing over the problem, we choose to anticipate God’s solution.  Joy is a biproduct of understanding that God is in control and choosing to trust Him. It is a life changing anchor in the storm.  Not only is joy appropriate at a funeral…a divorce…or a debilitating illness…it is the very thing that carries us through the suffering. 

Whatever you face today – you don’t face it alone.  Psalms says that God is “an ever-present help in trouble”. He is with you, lean on Him. 

Joy is the state of knowing that God loves you - and recognizing what He is capable of doing…nothing can separate you from the Love and security of Christ …and that is the amazing reason you have the ability to “rejoice always”.

“Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control, the quiet confidence that everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.” – Rick Warren



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