"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" - Philippians 4:four

When y'all remember of the discussion "rejoice," what practise you lot typically call back of? Yous might think of rejoicing as being in a state of abiding happiness and celebrating every detail of your life with unending exuberance.

What about when you run across the Scripture that says "rejoice in the Lord always"? Does that have the aforementioned sentiment as the mentioned land of happiness to a higher place?

Philippians iv:four has the apostle Paul telling the church of Philippi, in a letter, to always rejoice in the Lord, always celebrate the Lord. This carries the understanding that you do it whether y'all desire to or not, whether you are happy with the Lord or not. When you gloat with the right idea in mind about how God works, information technology will exist possible to find means to rejoice in the Lord.

Let the states examine the following passages in Philippians 4 to see why this advice from Paul is so profound and how we can agree to this belief of God's greatness at all times, finding the joy inside building up as nosotros requite Him thanks.

What Is the Context of Philippians 4?

The book of Philippians is the campaigner Paul's letter to the church of Philippi to share with them wisdom and encouragement for living out their organized religion in Christ and standing strong when struggles and persecution might occur.

Remember that when it came to suffering for your calling, Paul was definitely the skillful. He endured severe persecution for his conventionalities in Christ and phone call to ministry, then advice from him on rejoicing during trials seems to exist a proficient idea.

Philippians 4 centers more often than not on Paul conveying to the believers what to focus on during times of dubiety. He wants them to too know that every bit they become through challenges, they volition be able to do more than because Christ is in them (Phil. 4:13).

The quaternary chapter of Philippians also encourages people to not be anxious for anything, merely to give their needs in prayer to God (Phil. 4:6) and gain God's peace in render (Phil. iv:vii).

Paul also shared in Philippians 4:11-12 how he has learned to be content where he is because he knows what it is similar to exist hungry and full, to endure and to abound.

However, with Philippians 4:4, Paul but declares that nosotros "rejoice in the Lord, always. Over again I will say, rejoice!" What Paul is saying here is that we should rejoice at all times, whether we are sad, happy, angry, dislocated, or even tired: in that location shouldn't exist a moment that goes by that we aren't giving thanks to the Lord for His beloved and provision.

joyful mom and daughter singing praise songs with headphones on

Photograph credit: ©Getty Images/Lordn

What Does It Mean to "Rejoice in the Lord Always"?

Rejoice, according to Merriam Webster Dictionary, is "to give you" or "to experience joy or dandy delight," while to rejoice in means to "take or possess."

So, the Scripture conveys that to rejoice in the Lord is to have joy or please in the Lord; to feel joy when you remember of Him e'er.

How do you practise that, you might ask? Well, think of God equally you would someone you can run into in front of y'all, whether a family member, friend, co-worker, or someone from your church or community. When yous spend fourth dimension with someone that brings you joy and happiness, you rejoice or delight in being with him or her. You gloat it.

Although y'all can't come across God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit, you come up to know that they are there with y'all, as close as anyone can be to y'all. You experience their presence when you lot feel at-home in the midst of chaos, happiness or positivity in the midst of sadness, and confidence in the midst of doubt. You lot are rejoicing in knowing that God is at that place with y'all, strengthening you when you are weak and encouraging you when you feel like giving up.

What if You Don't Experience Like Rejoicing in the Lord?

Specially in our present status of life, it can exist difficult to rejoice in the Lord when there is pain, struggle, and sadness all effectually u.s.. Withal, it is possible to dearest on the Lord, to rejoice always, even when yous don't feel similar information technology or are grappling with too much pain to recollect of God.

Philippians 4:4 is followed by the well-known verses shared in Philippians 4:6-seven, where it talks about not beingness broken-hearted and giving your requests to the Lord with thanksgiving in your eye. Poesy 7 follows this with: "and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, volition baby-sit your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

What these verses country is that when we rejoice in the Lord, we begin to feel peace in our situations, peace in our hearts and minds, because we sympathize that God has our prayer requests well in hand and brings usa peace until those requests are answered.

Even when you have been waiting a long time for a prayer request to happen or a situation to change, you lot can rejoice and exist thankful for the Lord in the meantime considering yous know your prayer request has reached the ears of God and will be answered before long.

One way to rejoice when you lot don't feel like it is to recall back on the times that you were waiting on other prayer requests or were in like situations of distress, and how God provided when it didn't look like anything would change. When you remember what occurred and how beholden yous were to God, this feeling should fill up y'all with joy and tell y'all that God can do this again and again. He is a God who loves and cares for you lot.

And then, Philippians four:half dozen-7 tells us non to be anxious, every bit the world would have u.s. be, simply hopeful, thankful, and at peace in knowing your prayer requests volition be taken care of. The world may be anxious in its lack of command, but you don't take to be because you know who is in control.


Photo credit: Unsplash/Nghia-Le

A Prayer to Rejoice in the Lord

Equally nosotros close, permit's follow what is expressed in Philippians 4 and rejoice in the Lord always, as nosotros give Him our prayer requests and expect His peace in return.

Lord God,

Thank you for loving united states of america and caring for our needs as You do. For You know the plan ahead for us and know how to guide our steps to exist in line with that plan. Information technology's not always easy to rejoice and remain hopeful in You when problems and circumstances ascend, just we take to think back on the times we have been in similar positions and remember how You blest u.s. more than nosotros thought possible. From big to fiddling, nosotros can count the blessings that You gave us earlier and detect they are more numerous than we e'er thought possible. That is considering You know our needs before we inquire them, Yous know our heartaches before nosotros have them, and You know what will abound us the well-nigh to be all nosotros tin be in Your eyes. So, let u.s.a. rejoice and be glad as nosotros give You our prayers, knowing when nosotros least wait it, You lot will bring them into fruition. We give all of this to You in Jesus's name.

Amen.

God Volition Provide

Rejoicing in all situations, peculiarly present, can be difficult to do, if not impossible, at times. However, God has called us to rejoice in Him always, knowing that nosotros are loved and cared for past an eternal God.

The apostle Paul knew well the suffering that we can endure in our day, having experienced several bouts of it throughout his ministry. But he reminds us in this chapter that we demand to always be looking to God for hope and encouragement. God will provide for our needs when no one else tin can.

As we bypass feelings of apprehension of rejoicing when we are going through difficult situations, hopefully we will let those feelings be replaced by feelings of peace and conviction that the God who began a good work in us volition fulfill it in His children.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/torwai

Blair Parke  is a freelance writer for BibleStudyTools.com, and previously worked for 8 years with Xulon Press. A graduate of Stetson University with a Bachelor's in Communications, Blair previously worked as a writer/editor for several local magazines in the Fundamental Florida area, including Commemoration Contained and Lake Magazine in Leesburg, Florida and currently freelances for the Southwest Orlando Bulletin.

This commodity is part of our larger resources library of popular Bible verse phrases and quotes. We want to provide easy to read articles that reply your questions about the meaning, origin, and history of specific verses within Scripture'south context. It is our hope that these will help you meliorate understand the meaning and purpose of God's Word in relation to your life today.

  • Do Unto Others
  • The Truth Volition Fix You Gratuitous
  • Guard Your Heart
  • Honey One Another
  • Blest Are the Meek

Heed to our Daily Bible Poesy Podcast Now !

Your Daily Bible Verse Podcast Banner Ad