Rejoice
A double dose of infectious joy
===
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice!
Philippians 4:4 (NET)
===
Anytime I see repetition in the Bible, I pay attention.
I also pay extra attention whenever God (or Jesus) asks a question — because He’s never asking a question to learn the answer. There’s a deeper reason for the question.
But I digress.
Here Paul is writing a letter to the church that he might have loved the most. And he’s encouraging them — twice — to rejoice in the Lord.
I bet rejoicing in God is a critical part of our walk with Him.
Probably because that’s overflowing evidence of a heart that is madly in love. If I’m deeply in love with God and take delight in Him through every moment, then that drives much of my thoughts & actions.
Even when I’m frustrated that God isn’t doing things the way I’d like them to be done — admittedly a selfish frustration, but I am a work-in-progress — I can still spend time with God in a loving way. I can still make room to rejoice in the Lord.
Rejoicing is also contagious.
Not in the pandemic sense, yet it does spread to others.
Of course the fragrance of the Gospel is a sweet aroma to some and a putrid stench to others.
Pity those people who reject the Gospel and cannot find room in their hearts to rejoice in God. But share in joy with those who do rejoice in God. And then spread that joy to others.
I don’t think this is a super “deep” verse — just a practical one.
Go forth and rejoice … always!
(Should I say it again?)
😉
— Ricky Ketchum
Copyright © 2025 by Ricky Ketchum. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication prohibited.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV®Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright© 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.