As I have continued to meditate on this Scripture, God has continued to open it up to me.  Last time it was the word ‘always’ that stood out to me, but this time the emphasis is elsewhere.  What, or in fact WHO, are we to rejoice always in?  It is the Lord, isn’t it!  We are to lift our minds and our hearts and our spirits to the Lord, in the midst of our doubts and fears and worries and weariness and rejoice in Him!  He alone is the source of all true joy. 
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As the Billy Graham song says: 

So today, may I encourage you to simply stop and turn your eyes upon Jesus.  Offer Him your praise and your worship, despite what is going on around you. This is easy to say but not easy to do.  And sometimes its true - those outward things may or may not change.  Your attitude will definitely change, however,  and you will be better equipped to deal with all the external stuff. 

Romans 8:28 tells us that “all things work together for good to those who love God…..who are called according to His purpose”.  Let’s remind ourselves of this often and practise rejoicing IN THE LORD.

May your day be transformed as you walk through it with your eyes on Jesus.
Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy…

Prayer:
Loving God, we rejoice in your provision for us.  Help us to keep our eyes on You and not on our circumstances, so that we might offer you a sacrifice of praise and know your joy in every part of our lives.  Amen

Who feels like rejoicing?

I don’t always and I’m pretty certain you don’t either.  That little word ‘always’ in the Scripture is problematic.  We don’t want to rejoice in the midst of stuff that’s not fun.  Like Covid and being locked down and not being able to work or meet friends or see family members for example.  Even harder when loved ones are sick and we can’t be with them, or we are unwell and feeling alone.  Our finances may be a worry. What about those who are in places of fear and terror, possibly from war or natural disaster.  So many times, when we feel sad, or desperate or alone or stressed or weary, we can find ourselves sinking into hopelessness and despair.  And it can feel hypocritical or impossible even, to actually rejoice.

Yet God tell us to rejoice always!”

And this is because we forget so easily that joy is key to wellbeing.   In the midst of our desperation and helplessness, we turn to God and cry out for His help and it seems like He changes nothing, yet He changes EVERYTHING by telling us to “Rejoice!” 

For it is in doing so that we unlock the mystery of peace.  Peace that passes all human understanding, as we appreciate that our God is in control and our God is with us in all things. As we train ourselves to rejoice in all situations, He will encourage us and lift our spirits and our eyes will be more and more on Him not on our circumstances.  Nehemiah tells us:

“Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10
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I know this is true because God performs this miracle for me every day.  I truly believe we can endure all things if we practise rejoicing.
 
Can I encourage you to start to thank God for whatever you are going through right now, and whatever you are feeling right now.  See it as a way to unlock His power in your life.  Confess your disappointment and whatever negative things you are feeling and then allow gratefulness for something, anything, to begin to rise.  If for nothing else, you can be grateful that you have a Saviour who has died on the cross for you and who knows exactly the depths of your misery right now.  Allow the gratefulness to transform into a speck of joy and start to rejoice in that joy you have found.
  
May you rejoice today and find wellbeing as you trust in our mighty God.
 
Proverbs 17:22
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.