Rejoice Always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will in Christ Jesus for you.
Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’[a] As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ Acts 17:28.
My God is so great, so strong and so mighty, there’s nothing my God cannot do, for you.
A child’s song. Perhaps it’s so much more than we ever imagined. It could be the spark that lights up a new flame. One that had been quenched.
“Is God in control?
The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, ‘Destroy!’” Deut.33:27.
This is hope. God – a refuge. God – with everlasting arms.God – able to destroy our enemies.
“But I can’t see Him. How can I have hope?” You might say?
“Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us…”
Hope does not disappoint, when you and I hope in God.
You see, when you and I hope in God, the Holy Spirit begins to minister His unfailing love to us – not once and for all – but moment by moment when we keep all that we are, heart, soul, and mind , on Him.
But we think, “But what about tomorrow?”, “How am I going to pay this bill?”, or “How am I going to get through college?” or “How will I ever…?”, or, “What do I do with this child?”, or “What about this seemingly hopeless situation?”
What did Peter tell us in 1Peter 1:13? “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest you hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;”
“Gird up! Rest your hope fully”… so I am to take all my hope and rest it on the grace that is brought to me at the revelation of Jesus Christ. I am to take whatever hope I have and rest it on the unmerited favor that God has for me revealed in Jesus.
“Well, then, I need revelation, and I need it now!”
God’s spoke to Job out of the whirlwind after he was instructed to ‘Gird up’ or ‘prepare himself like a man’ Job 38:3. Today, I need to hear Him:
“Have you commanded the morning since your days began, And caused the dawn to know its place, That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, And the wicked be shaken out of it?…”Job 38:12,13.
“Have you entered the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in search of the depths? Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death? Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this.”Job 16,17.
Job has lost all his belongings, his wife left him with no comfort, each of his children have died, his friends are judgmental and harsh, and Job is suffering with boils and extreme pain! How is God speaking to him?
He is reminding Job, “I am in control.”
“Have you entered the treasury of snow, Or have you seen the treasury of hail, Which I have reserved for the time of trouble, For the day of battle and war? By what way is light diffused. Or the east wind scattered over the earth?” Job 38:22-24.
God is Sovereign. Are you in need? “This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4).
“Then I need more faith,” you might say. “Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17).
Faith is increased in the hearing and believing in this: “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah
“There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy pace of the tabernacle of the Most High, God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn…The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
“Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has made desolations in the earth. He makes wars to cease to the ends of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire.
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah Psalm 46.
God is in control, and He has calmed and quieted my heart by His transforming word. “Lord, though ‘the earth be removed’, so to speak, and ‘waters roar and are troubled’, the river of life that You have placed in my heart, the Holy Spirit, has reminded me, today, once again, as a ‘very present help in trouble’ that You, the God of Jacob are my refuge. I do not need to be afraid. You are in control. Yes, Lord,
“You, will keep me in perfect peace Whose mind is stayed on You, Because I trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, For in YAH, the LORD is everlasting strength.” Is. 23:6.
And that is how we can ‘rejoice in the Lord, always’, He’s got us in His everlasting, ever-loving arms, and He knows those who trust in Him. We can ‘be still’ because we know… He knows.
The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, ‘Destroy!’” Deut.33:27.
This is hope. God – a refuge. God – with everlasting arms.God – able to destroy our enemies.
“But I can’t see Him. How can I have hope?” You might say?
“Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us…”
Hope does not disappoint, when you and I hope in God.
You see, when you and I hope in God, the Holy Spirit begins to minister His unfailing love to us – not once and for all – but moment by moment when we keep all that we are, heart, soul, and mind , on Him.
But we think, “But what about tomorrow?”, “How am I going to pay this bill?”, or “How am I going to get through college?” or “How will I ever…?”, or, “What do I do with this child?”, or “What about this seemingly hopeless situation?”
What did Peter tell us in 1Peter 1:13? “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest you hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;”
“Gird up! Rest your hope fully”… so I am to take all my hope and rest it on the grace that is brought to me at the revelation of Jesus Christ. I am to take whatever hope I have and rest it on the unmerited favor that God has for me revealed in Jesus.
“Well, then, I need revelation, and I need it now!”
God’s spoke to Job out of the whirlwind after he was instructed to ‘Gird up’ or ‘prepare himself like a man’ Job 38:3. Today, I need to hear Him:
“Have you commanded the morning since your days began, And caused the dawn to know its place, That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, And the wicked be shaken out of it?…”Job 38:12,13.
“Have you entered the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in search of the depths? Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death? Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this.”Job 16,17.
Job has lost all his belongings, his wife left him with no comfort, each of his children have died, his friends are judgmental and harsh, and Job is suffering with boils and extreme pain! How is God speaking to him?
He is reminding Job, “I am in control.”
“Have you entered the treasury of snow, Or have you seen the treasury of hail, Which I have reserved for the time of trouble, For the day of battle and war? By what way is light diffused. Or the east wind scattered over the earth?” Job 38:22-24.
God is Sovereign. Are you in need? “This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4).
“Then I need more faith,” you might say. “Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17).
Faith is increased in the hearing and believing in this: “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah
“There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy pace of the tabernacle of the Most High, God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn…The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
“Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has made desolations in the earth. He makes wars to cease to the ends of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire.
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah Psalm 46.
God is in control, and He has calmed and quieted my heart by His transforming word. “Lord, though ‘the earth be removed’, so to speak, and ‘waters roar and are troubled’, the river of life that You have placed in my heart, the Holy Spirit, has reminded me, today, once again, as a ‘very present help in trouble’ that You, the God of Jacob are my refuge. I do not need to be afraid. You are in control. Yes, Lord,
“You, will keep me in perfect peace Whose mind is stayed on You, Because I trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, For in YAH, the LORD is everlasting strength.” Is. 23:6.
And that is how we can ‘rejoice in the Lord, always’, He’s got us in His everlasting, ever-loving arms, and He knows those who trust in Him. We can ‘be still’ because we know… He knows.
Thanks Toni, I needed this.
Dear Leslie, I never replied to your comment. Thank you for being such a huge encouragement to me. God bless you Leslie.