Rejoice in the Lord

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything..."

(Philippians 4:4-5)

The decorations are down and the excitement of Christmas is over. The inside of our houses feel bare and empty.  If you live in the Midwest like we do, looking outside doesn't help the situation.  Everything is brown and dreary, and will stay that way for the next couple of months.  Sometimes, it feels like the Christmas joy has been put away with the decorations.

"Rejoice in the Lord always."  As Christians, this verse reminds us that our cause for  rejoicing is not found in our circumstances.  As sinful human beings, we often forget this and tend to focus too much on the current hardships  in our lives.  We only find temporary happiness in ourselves, our material possessions, and  in those around us.   But, the apostle Paul reminds us to rejoice in the Lord always--in good times and in bad-- for our true joy is found in God's gift of salvation, which is everlasting.   The reality is that we are sinners living in a sinful world--we will have  tough days; those we love will let us down; and we will let those we love down, too.  On our own, there is not much cause for rejoicing. However, it is in these tough times that we are reminded: "The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything."  Through the help of the Holy Spirit, we are not to be anxious.  Rather, we are to trust in Him. It is during times of hardship that our Savior draws us to Him, sustains us, and strengthens our faith.  And, it is through His death and resurrection that we find our true joy.

At first glance, it may appear that the Christmas season is over.  Yet, as Christians, may we continually rest and rejoice in the true source of our Christmas joy.  May we daily give thanks for the Son of God who was laid in the manger--for it is in Him alone that we have everlasting salvation.  And, it is in Him alone that we can find true joy and peace forever. 

Dear Heavenly Father,  We are thankful for all that you have done, are doing, and will do in our lives.  May we daily focus our eyes on You--the Defender and Perfector of our faith. Thank you for being our constant source of joy.  In Christ's name--Amen.