Reflection on “The Art of Rejoicing!”– February 18, 2025
Rejoice in the Lord always.Again, I will say, rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, please which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7.
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippines 4:8-9.
The beautiful and glorious blessing is the knowledge that God created the Heavens and Earth! God does not sleep, and our help comes from Him. I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Psalm 121:1-3.
Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, you righteous; And shout for joy all you upright in heart! Psalm 32:11. When I read Isaiah 55:12, it gave me Joy.
“For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. How often I have watched trees sway and been awe of their stature and glory. If they worship their Creator, then I should follow their example in Follow God our Father and His One and Only Son, Jesus.
We are commanded to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, and minds in Matthew 22:37. The Art of Rejoicing begins in our minds and hearts and making choices to what to choose. Often, we want to complain, and then our minds are colored dark. One day I read Galatians 5:22-25, about the Holy Spirit! But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
When we consider the presence of the love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, we have God’s Presence in our heart and mind.
Then there is Peace. Oh, how we desire peace around us. So many people cause our peace to disappear. It is not a medical or an illness. Rather, We find it God’s Word: Peace, I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you John 14:27.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide
you with My eye. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, your righteous; And shout
for joy, all you upright in heart! Psalm 32:8, 11.
How can we begin the Art of Rejoicing? By Giving Thanks to our Lord God. Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God. Ephesians 5:19-21.
What have we to be thankful for? Each day I remember this verse and give Thanks. Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So, God created man in His own image; in the image of God, He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:26,27. Thankfulness extends to the air we breathe!
I remember watching my Mother in the flower garden caring for her flowers. I asked a question, and the answer changed my view of God. “He designed flowers!” I thought about the colors, the design in the face of the flowers and the way they had stems to drink water for life!
My Dad loved to make Bible Stories come alive for many boys and girls. Another reason to thank God – thankfulness for my parents. One big word marks the way of walking with God – TRUST and Obey.
I often sang the hymn, but what brought it to life for me, as I sat by my Mother’s side as she drew her last few moments and read her favorite Psalm. I remembered the word, Trust. Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:3-4.
The Art of Rejoicing, begins with Trusting in God and choosing the path of righteousness, and seeing Delight as Heavenly Rejoicing,