Let us Rejoice and be Glad
LET US REJOICE AND BE GLAD
Philippians 4:4-7
The psalmist, in Psalm 118:24, encourages us to rejoice and be glad. This is not only good for our souls, but for our minds as well.
We need to rejoice in the present. We have to realize that this truly is the day that the Lord has made. Someone has said that there are three days on everybody’s calendar; yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The most important day in our calendar is today. Yesterday is gone into the tomb of time. To live in yesterday is to waste today and rob tomorrow. To live in tomorrow may cause us to not come to grips with the present. We have to see that tomorrow is wrapped in what we do today.
We need to recognize the importance of the present. Today is the only day that we can be sure of. We have to beware unless we get caught up in the philosophy that is so prevalent in the world today of “eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we may die.” On the other hand, though, we should celebrate the present to the fullest and live responsibly for tomorrow, for some of us, may never come.
We need to accept this day as a gift from God. The psalmist would encourage us to see every day as a gift from God to us. Today is not an accident and it is not incidental. God wants to be in the midst of this day with us. He wants to help us make it the best day that it can be. He wants each day to be productive and something that will give us strength and encouragement to face the challenges of tomorrow. He wants to give us pleasant memories of today for the struggles we will face tomorrow.
We need to be grateful for the day that we have had. This day was a day that we had the opportunity to worship, to maybe work a little bit, to share and possibly to witness to someone. We need to rejoice in this day, for in it we have to opportunity to both give and to be given to.
Joy is important to God. Many times in the Bible we see the joy of God mentioned. There was joy when Christ’s birth was announced. Because of the joy set before him, Christ was able to endure the pain and suffering of the cross. In the parable of the talents, the servants who were rewarded were permitted to enter into the joy of their Master. Our Lord speaks of joy in the presence of angels when a sinner repents.
These are just examples of the joy that God feels and experiences. Think about the times in your life that he has had a chance to be joyous with you. Think about the good things that make you happy. Don’t you think that many of these things make God happy as well?
We need to rejoice and be glad for God’s love for us. We need to rejoice in the privilege of being sons and daughters of God. We need to rejoice and be glad because we have had the opportunity in our lives to serve the Lord. We need to rejoice in the assurance of an eternal home and an eternal salvation in the future. We should rejoice today and be glad in the anticipation of rewards for our faithfulness and service when we meet our Savior.