"Rejoice in the Lord ever. I will say information technology over again: Rejoice!" - Philippians 4:4

When you retrieve of the word "rejoice," what exercise you lot typically think of? You might call up of rejoicing equally being in a state of constant happiness and celebrating every item of your life with unending exuberance.

What about when you come across the Scripture that says "rejoice in the Lord ever"? Does that have the same sentiment as the mentioned land of happiness above?

Philippians 4:4 has the apostle Paul telling the church building of Philippi, in a letter, to always rejoice in the Lord, always gloat the Lord. This carries the understanding that you practise it whether yous want to or non, whether you are happy with the Lord or non. When you lot celebrate with the right thought in mind near how God works, it will be possible to detect means to rejoice in the Lord.

Let us examine the following passages in Philippians 4 to see why this advice from Paul is then profound and how we tin can concur to this belief of God'south greatness at all times, finding the joy inside building up equally we give Him thanks.

What Is the Context of Philippians 4?

The volume of Philippians is the apostle 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 expert. He endured severe persecution for his conventionalities in Christ and call to ministry building, and so communication from him on rejoicing during trials seems to be a proficient idea.

Philippians 4 centers mostly on Paul carrying to the believers what to focus on during times of dubiousness. He wants them to as well know that as they become through challenges, they will be able to practise more than because Christ is in them (Phil. 4:13).

The fourth chapter of Philippians too encourages people to not be broken-hearted for anything, but to requite their needs in prayer to God (Phil. four:six) and proceeds God's peace in render (Phil. 4:7).

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

However, with Philippians 4:4, Paul only declares that we "rejoice in the Lord, always. Again I will say, rejoice!" What Paul is proverb hither is that nosotros should rejoice at all times, whether we are sad, happy, angry, confused, or even tired: there shouldn't be a moment that goes by that we aren't giving thanks to the Lord for His love and provision.

joyful mom and daughter singing praise songs with headphones on

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Lordn

What Does It Hateful to "Rejoice in the Lord Ever"?

Rejoice, according to Merriam Webster Dictionary, is "to requite you" or "to feel joy or keen delight," while to rejoice in means to "have or possess."

And so, the Scripture conveys that to rejoice in the Lord is to take joy or please in the Lord; to experience joy when y'all think of Him ever.

How do you do that, you might ask? Well, think of God equally you would someone you lot can encounter in front of you lot, whether a family fellow member, friend, co-worker, or someone from your church or community. When you lot spend time with someone that brings y'all joy and happiness, yous rejoice or delight in beingness with him or her. You celebrate it.

Although yous tin't meet God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit, yous come up to know that they are in that location with you, as close as anyone tin can be to y'all. Y'all feel their presence when you experience at-home in the midst of anarchy, happiness or positivity in the midst of sadness, and conviction in the midst of dubiety. You are rejoicing in knowing that God is there with you, strengthening you when you are weak and encouraging you when you experience like giving up.

What if You lot Don't Feel Similar Rejoicing in the Lord?

Particularly in our present condition of life, it can be hard to rejoice in the Lord when there is hurting, struggle, and sadness all effectually usa. However, information technology is possible to love on the Lord, to rejoice ever, even when you don't experience like it or are grappling with too much pain to think of God.

Philippians 4:4 is followed by the well-known verses shared in Philippians 4:6-vii, where it talks about non being anxious and giving your requests to the Lord with thanksgiving in your middle. Poesy seven 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 land is that when we rejoice in the Lord, we brainstorm to experience peace in our situations, peace in our hearts and minds, because we understand that God has our prayer requests well in hand and brings u.s. peace until those requests are answered.

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

One way to rejoice when y'all don't experience like information technology is to remember back on the times that you were waiting on other prayer requests or were in similar situations of distress, and how God provided when it didn't look like annihilation would modify. When you lot remember what occurred and how appreciative you were to God, this feeling should fill you with joy and tell you that God can do this once more and over again. He is a God who loves and cares for y'all.

So, Philippians 4:6-seven tells us not to be broken-hearted, as the world would take u.s.a. be, but hopeful, thankful, and at peace in knowing your prayer requests will be taken intendance of. The world may be anxious in its lack of control, but you don't take to be because you lot know who is in control.


Photo credit: Unsplash/Nghia-Le

A Prayer to Rejoice in the Lord

As we close, let's follow what is expressed in Philippians iv and rejoice in the Lord e'er, as we give Him our prayer requests and look His peace in render.

Lord God,

Thank you for loving us and caring for our needs as You do. For You know the programme ahead for usa and know how to guide our steps to be in line with that programme. It's non always piece of cake to rejoice and remain hopeful in You when issues and circumstances arise, merely we take to think back on the times we have been in like positions and call back how You blessed u.s. more we thought possible. From big to trivial, we can count the blessings that You lot gave u.s. before and observe they are more numerous than we e'er thought possible. That is because You know our needs before nosotros enquire them, Y'all know our heartaches before we have them, and Yous know what will abound the states the most to be all we tin can exist in Your eyes. So, let us rejoice and exist glad as we give You our prayers, knowing when we least expect information technology, You volition bring them into fruition. Nosotros requite all of this to You in Jesus's name.

Amen.

God Will Provide

Rejoicing in all situations, especially nowadays, can be hard to do, if not impossible, at times. Even so, God has called us to rejoice in Him always, knowing that we are loved and cared for by an eternal God.

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

As we bypass feelings of apprehension of rejoicing when we are going through difficult situations, hopefully we volition permit those feelings exist replaced by feelings of peace and confidence that the God who began a adept piece of work in us volition fulfill information technology in His children.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/torwai

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

This article is part of our larger resource library of popular Bible poetry phrases and quotes. We want to provide like shooting fish in a barrel to read articles that answer your questions about the significant, origin, and history of specific verses within Scripture'south context. It is our hope that these will help you lot better understand the meaning and purpose of God's Word in relation to your life today.

  • Exercise Unto Others
  • The Truth Will Set Y'all Complimentary
  • Guard Your Eye
  • Love I Another
  • Blessed Are the Meek

Listen to our Daily Bible Verse Podcast Now !

Your Daily Bible Verse Podcast Banner Ad