“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4)
If you have read the book of Philippians, then it is clear that Paul is deeply concerned with the issue of joy in the Christian life. The words joy, rejoice, and rejoicing appear 15 times. Joy must be an awfully important topic if the Lord has given us an entire epistle on the subject! In fact, He tells us in the book of Nehemiah that “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Without joy, the Christian will be drained of all energy, his heart will fail him, his service will cease, and life will become colorless. Yet with joy—even in prison—there can be rejoicing. Even when brethren add insult to injury, we can rejoice (Phil. 1:12-18). Even in the face of death, there can be rejoicing (Phil. 1:21).
Rejoicing is just as it sounds—to re-joy. It is when joy reaches a point where it must find an outlet, so full that it overflows. Have you ever been around someone like this? There is a constant overflow of joy in their life, and what a pleasure it is to be around such people! Joy pours out of their mouth, their actions, their attitude—it permeates every part of them. They are living a rejoicing life. That is exactly what we are commanded to do at all times. Our verse asks no questions, sets no stipulations, but simply states that we are to rejoice—always. And for emphasis, it repeats: “And again I say, Rejoice.”
Always—what a powerful word! It is all-encompassing, covering every moment of time—past, present, and future. We can rejoice always because we have an always God. In this letter, Paul rejoices in past works, present graces, and future hopes. So can we, as children of the eternal God! If you need a reminder to rejoice, simply look to any point in your life—past, present, or future—and you will find His grace at work. I can look to my past and rejoice that He did not leave me in my lost condition. I can look to my present and rejoice that I am His workmanship, being molded by His hand. I can look to the future and rejoice that He will perform this good work in me until the day of Jesus Christ! What joy! There is not a single place in my past, present, or future that does not call for overflowing joy!
But notice carefully—the command is not to rejoice in what the Lord has done, is doing, or will do. It is simply: “Rejoice in the Lord.” We must graduate from rejoicing in what He does to rejoicing in who He is. God’s works are meant to lead us to the God of the works. Creation leads us to the Creator. The persons of man lead us to the person of God. All His works glorify Him. While looking to the past, present, and future is a wonderful exercise, it is not the end. When we have seen His works, we must now look higher—to the Person behind the works: The Lord Himself.
Rejoice in Him! His mercy is everlasting because He is everlasting. His Word is unchanging because He is unchanging. All His works are wonderful because He is wonderful. He is the eternal, unchanging God, which means that if He has ever been good, that’s all He will ever be. If He has ever been faithful, that’s all He will ever be. If He has ever been merciful, that’s what He will always be. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever!
So yes—we can rejoice in the Lord always, because He has always been faithful. He has always been good. In fact, He is the only One we can always rejoice in, because He has never changed. He has always been exactly who He has always been.
This morning, if you find yourself lacking joy, why not re-joy in the person of the Lord? Perhaps He seems far off, and it is hard to sense Him. Look to the closest working of His hand in your life. Look to His faithfulness in your past, His grace in your present, and His promises for your future. Before long, as you see His works in your life, your vision will be sharpened to see beyond the works—to the very Person from whom all these works flow. And when you do, you will have an eternal source of joy and rejoicing, no matter the circumstances of life.
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