Rejoice in the Lord, always!
Sometimes we focus on the “always,” and to be sure, as my friend, Bob Shull says, “All means all,” so always means always.
We sometimes mistakenly think this verse means to be joyful for every circumstance. To be sure, there are intensely joyful moments in life that we love to experience, yet as the drama masks of comedy and tragedy tell us, there are painful moments as well.
A moments reflection tells us the true focus of, “rejoice in the Lord, always.” It is "IN THE LORD!"
We rejoice “in the Lord” and not necessarily “in the circumstances of the moment!”
Feeling glad? Feeling sad? Know that real joy is the confidence that directly underneath you are the everlasting caring, holding, hugging arms of the Lord who loves you!
