I was at the little post office in my new location in Florida where God called me to set up a ministry base after some years on the road for Him and ministry full-time when He saw fit to use something while I was waiting in line to jar me awake.
Sometimes God teaches us things even over and again and yet still we need His loving, strong, and, yes, convicting and chastening reminders. Like with the message He gave me at the post office of all places.
Thank God the line was short and quick. I am not good at waiting. But I was in line long enough to glance over at a greeting card which seemed to be peering right at me if greeting cards could actually do so. Seriously, it was like the card was looking right at me. It was on a bit of an angle and seemed to be somewhat jammed into its little location perhaps the angle resulting from the other cards it was crammed in with. But the very bold words stood out so strongly to me with the loud and clear message God wanted to give me.
“We gonna be joyful regardless,” the card stated.
There it was. Just what I needed. No idea if the card had anything to do with Jesus, but the message seemed to cry out with a Bible truth.
WE ARE TO BE JOYFUL – IN JESUS – NO MATTER WHAT.
No matter our life’s circumstances, we are to continually REJOICE – IN JESUS.
No matter what we face, we are to be JOYFUL – IN JESUS – each and every day.
Now please don’t get me wrong. We may have a zillion other emotions also as we go through life’s trials, but deep inside our hearts we should have the JOYFULNESS of having an intimate forever relationship with the Lord.
My confession. Even as I write this, I have been dealing with some news that shell-shocked me. I feel blown away by it. Not to mention exhausted from some other issues. And in the midst of it all I totally forgot about having JOY – IN JESUS. I have written and talked and read in the Bible about it countless times, but still sometimes I totally forget. Then God reminds me. And I remember that we can, and should, have JOY – IN JESUS – at all times.
Oh, no, we may not feel any joy at all about our challenges and the world’s woes. But we can celebrate JOY as Jesus’ followers by abiding in Him, by looking to Him, by communing with Him, by crying out to God in prayer, in praising and worshiping God, in resting and trusting in Him, in knowing God is with us now and we will be with Him forevermore.
Just like God reminded me through that greeting card at the post office, we can and should be JOYFUL REGARDLESS.
Cry out to God with REJOICING! Cry out to God regarding your needs! Cry out to God for others! Pray for any and all around the world He wants you to pray for! But don’t let your crying out to God just be about asking God to do things! Cry out to God and praise, praise, praise the Lord with JOY – IN JESUS – AMEN! Oh, yes, REJOICE!
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” Philippians 4:4 NKJV
“Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.” Philippians 3:1 NKJV
“And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD; It shall rejoice in His salvation.” Psalms 35:9
“My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.” Psalms 63:5 NKJV
“Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
“Sing aloud to God our strength; Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob.” Psalms 66:1 NKJV
“Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance.” Psalms 89:15 NKJV