Rejoice Always

“Other men see only a hopeless end, but the Christian rejoices in an endless hope.” Gilbert Brenken

“There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice.” John Calvin

“We must rejoice in God, but still with a holy trembling.” Matthew Henry

“Every attribute of God should become a fresh ray in the sunlight of our gladness. That He is wise should make us glad, knowing as we do our own foolishness. That He is mighty should cause us to rejoice who tremble at our weakness. That He is everlasting, should always be a theme of joy when we know that we wither as the grass. That He is un-changing, should perpetually yield us a song, since we change every hour. That He is full of grace, that He is overflowing with it, and that this grace in covenant He has given to us; that it is ours to cleanse us, ours to keep us, ours to sanctify us, ours to perfect us, ours to bring us to glory – all this should tend to make us glad in Him. This gladness in God is as a deep river; we have only as yet touched its brink, we know a little of its clear sweet, heavenly streams, but onward the depth is greater, and the current more impetuous in its joy.” Charles H. Spurgeon

“In a command to ‘be joyful,’ self-discipline isn’t the goal. It isn’t an effective response or even a realistic one. We can’t change our hearts simply by telling them to change. We can, however, realize that our attitudes are off-kilter and ask Him to supernaturally change them. He holds hearts in His hand; He can certainly sway them with His thoughts and fill them with His Spirit. If we are going to be people who are always joyful, this is how it has to be. We can’t follow this instruction in the midst of trying circumstances unless we have a radical change of perspective and supernatural help. Biblical commands to rejoice – especially in suffering, persecution, and the intense trials of life – can only be fulfilled when we depend on Him.” Chris Tiegreen

“It is our duty and privilege to rejoice in God, and to rejoice in him always; at all times, in all conditions. There is enough in God to furnish us with matter for joy in the worst circumstances on earth.” Matthew Henry

“Lean hard upon Me, for I bring you through to new victories, and restoration shall follow what seems now to be a wind of destruction. Hold fast to My hand, and rest in My love, for of this you may be very certain: My love is unaltered; yes, I have you in My own intensive care. My concern for you is deeper now than when things are normal. Draw upon the resources of My grace, and so shall you be equipped to communicate peace and confidence to your dear ones. Heaven rejoices when you go through trials with a singing spirit. Your Father’s heart is cheered when you endure the test and do not question His mercy. Be like a beacon light. His own glorious radiance shall shine through you, and Christ Himself will be revealed.” Frances J. Roberts

“Christian, do you believe that He has your best interest at heart? Do you believe that He has rescued you from the dominion of darkness? Do you believe He loves you with an everlasting love? Do you believe that He will never forsake you? Do you believe that His faithfulness is new every morning? Do you believe that He died for you and if He already did the greater will He not do the lesser? Do you believe that He rejoices over you with singing? Do you believe that He would leave the ninety-nine to come and find you? Do you believe that in Him there is comfort, peace and joy? Then look to Him and have hope.” BHY

“Life is a celebration; delight in it. For us to enjoy life and to see it as a celebration, there are three things that we must do: rejoice (Ecclesiastes 11:7, 9), remove (11:10), and remember (12:1). Rejoice in each day. Anticipate every new day as a wrapped gift from the hand of God, and look forward to waking up and unwrapping that wonderful gift. Start your day with gratitude. Remove bitterness, false beliefs, bad habits, and unwholesome relationships from your life now before they endanger your future. Remember the constant presence of God. Wherever you go, He is with you, and He is watching over you. Remember to obey His Word and to seek His righteousness and His Kingdom first -- for that is the secret to your success. Remember to place Him first in every decision you make.” Michael Youssef

“The children of God are ruled in their inmost powers by love - the love of Christ constraineth them; they rejoice that divine love is set upon them, they feel it shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto them, and then by force of gratitude they love the Saviour with a pure heart, fervently. My dear reader, do you love Him?” Charles H. Spurgeon
“The perspective he gives me in my low place has helped me see His love more clearly. Habakkuk had that view too. He said, ‘Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren... yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!’ (Habakkuk 3:17-18 NLT). We can rejoice when our perspective changes even if our problems don’t. Habakkuk didn’t rejoice because his problems changed; he rejoiced because his perspective changed. God lifted His lowly prophet to ‘tread on the heights’ with Him. (Habakkuk 3:19) And God will do that for you too. He will love you through your low place. If you find yourself in a low place, don’t assume it’s a waste of time, or a waste of your life or a waste of an opportunity. Instead, do what Habakkuk did – climb the watchtower of your faith, one wobbly step at a time and seek an answer from the God who loves you. If He doesn’t give you an answer – or an answer you want – it’s because He wants to give you something far better – a greater sense of purpose, time in His presence, and a new perspective. When you climb toward God, you see your life from God’s view. And, from that place, you may still see rubble, but, you may just rejoice at the sight knowing that God’s loving purpose is right there! ‘For He works all things together for our good.’” (Romans 8:28) Jennifer Rothschild