Philippians 4:4 - "Rejoice in the Lord Always"

Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Today we come to one of the best-known verses in the entirebook of Philippians. In many ways, this verse captures the heartbeat of thewhole letter. Paul writes: "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say,Rejoice." Think about who is writing these words. Paul is not sittingin a comfortable home enjoying the blessings of retirement. He is under housearrest in Rome. He is chained to a Roman soldier. He is awaiting trial beforeCaesar. Humanly speaking, he has every reason to complain. Yet instead ofcomplaining, he commands us to rejoice.  Thatis one of the great lessons of Philippians. Joy is not determined by ourcircumstances. Joy is determined by our relationship with Jesus Christ. Noticecarefully what Paul says. He does not say, "Rejoice in yourcircumstances." He does not say, "Rejoice because everything is goingwell." He says, "Rejoice in the Lord." Our circumstancesconstantly change. Our health changes. Our finances change. Our emotionschange. People disappoint us. Plans fall apart. But the Lord never changes. Hebrews13:8 reminds us, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, andforever." Because He never changes, our joy can remain constant evenwhen life is uncertain. Noticealso the little word "alway." That means at all times. When life isgood, rejoice in the Lord. When life is difficult, rejoice in the Lord. Whenprayers are answered, rejoice in the Lord. When you are still waiting for theanswer, rejoice in the Lord. This is not a command to ignore sorrow or pretendthat pain doesn't exist. Paul himself wept. He suffered. He knewdisappointment, persecution, imprisonment, and hardship. Yet beneath all ofthose experiences was a deep confidence that God was in control and that Christwas enough. That is biblical joy. It is possible to have tears in your eyes andjoy in your heart at the same time. ThenPaul adds, "And again I say, Rejoice." Why does he repeathimself? Because we are prone to forget. Throughout this letter Paul hasreturned again and again to this theme. In chapter 1 he rejoiced that Christwas being preached. In chapter 2 he rejoiced in serving Christ alongsideothers. In chapter 3 he told us, "Rejoice in the Lord." Now,as he nears the end of the letter, he repeats the command once more. Apparently,joy is something we all need to hear about again and again. Theword "rejoice" is not merely a suggestion. It is a command. God istelling us that joy is not just an emotion we wait to feel. It is a choice wemake as we focus our hearts on the Lord. How do we cultivate that joy? Werejoice by remembering who Christ is. We rejoice by remembering what He hasdone. We rejoice because our sins are forgiven. We rejoice because our namesare written in heaven. We rejoice because He has promised never to leave us norforsake us. We rejoice because He is coming again.          We rejoice because nothing can separate us from His love. Myfriend, if your joy has begun to fade, don't spend all your time looking atyour circumstances. Lift your eyes to the Lord. The closer we draw to Christ,the deeper our joy becomes. A joyful Christian is not someone who has noproblems; it is someone who has learned that Jesus Christ is greater than everyproblem. Today, no matter what you may be facing, hear Paul's words as thoughhe were speaking them directly to you: "Rejoice in the Lord alway: andagain I say, Rejoice." Let'spray. Heavenly Father, thank You that our joy is not rooted in changingcircumstances but in our unchanging Savior. Forgive us for the times we allowour problems to rob us of the joy that is ours in Christ. Help us to keep oureyes fixed on Jesus and to rejoice in You at all times. May our joy become atestimony to those around us that You are faithful, good, and worthy of ourtrust. We pray this in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Godbless and may you have a wonderful wonderful day!