◄ What Does Philippians 4:4 Mean? ►

We are called to rejoice in the Lord, to pray without ceasing, and in everything to give thanks to the Lord our God, for the joy of the Lord is our health and strength, and His mercy endures forevermore. We are exhorted to rejoice in the Lord and to take refuge in Him, for He has done wonderful things for all who have trusted in the name of His dearly beloved Son.

In the knowledge of what God has done for us, through the life, death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ - shouldn't we be joyful, with exceeding great joy? Should we not lift up our voices in an everlasting song of praise? We who once were dead in trespasses and sins have been justified and are being transformed into the very image and likeness of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

In Christ there is sanctification, glorification, and a joint heir-ship with the Son of the most High God. By His goodness and grace we have been seated in heavenly places in Christ - to His praise and glory, forever and ever.

True joy and genuine happiness is a gift of grace from our heavenly Father, for genuine joy and true happiness is a heavenly grace we receive from the Spirit of God, as we walk in spirit and truth and live in newness of life. Joy is a fruit that the Lord produces within our heart, but it is something that the world can know nothing about.

The Joy of the Lord is a precious fruit and a spiritual grace that is given to us from above. The joy of the Lord is our strength in times of weakness and protection in times of danger. However, unsaved men and women know nothing of true, heavenly joy, which is a characteristic of the Christian Church, that is ours by grace. Those who are dead in their sins do not have access to God's spiritual graces, for joy is both a gift of God to the justified and a fruit of the Spirit in the sanctified man.

Such heavenly joy can be maintained in the midst of all afflictions and distresses, for the joy of the Lord is our everlasting hope and strength. Such divine rejoicing should not be hindered or quenched by the scheming strategies of the wicked one. Satan delights to use adversity to hatch-out doubts and fears in the imagination of our hearts, and these can become barriers that make us question God's faithfulness, distort His character, and cause our faith to falter. But joy in the Lord is a great spiritual weapon that can help to dispel Satan's devious lies and cause his wicked accusations to evaporate like the morning mist.

The length, breadth, depth, and height, of this continual rejoicing in the Lord, should resound to the farthest extremity of His promises and plans - His governance and character. The surpassing intimate fellowship into which we have been warmly invited, as children of the Father and joint-heirs with Christ, should rejoice our heart always and gladden our soul through time and into eternity.

Let us rejoice in the Lord always - and again I will say, LET US REJOICE - for He is a great and awesome God, and a great King above all gods!

Loving Father thank You for Your gift of joy and for Your fruit of rejoicing. Help me to take all my thoughts captive... especially those doubts and imaginings that are prompted by the enemy to steal the heavenly gift of joy that is mine in Christ. Thank You, Father, that You are worthy of all my praise and that Your joy is a heavenly medicine and spiritual muscle that strengthens my trust and increases my love for You. May I never cease to rejoice in You all the days of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN.