Rejoice Always
“Troubles will come and go, but a relationship with God is eternal. Rejoicing in the Lord is simply recognizing what he’s done for you — what he has provided in Jesus Christ — and for who he is. In reality, I can always rejoice, whether I’m in good or bad times, because I know they are temporary.
So, rejoicing always is rejoicing anyway. He didn’t say, “Be happy always.” Dire circumstances develop in our lives and it would be preposterous to even try to pretend we’re happy over some things that come our way. In this life, you’re going to have some tough times, and things are going to get you down from time to time. You can’t just whistle those circumstances away. But like Paul and Silas in prison (Acts 16:25), you can worship in spite of what the day has brought forth.”
John Wimber, Prayer: Intimate Communication (Anaheim: Vineyard Ministries International, 1997), 17.
