Rejoice!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

God always wants his people to be joyful (notice I didn’t say happy), this joy is given by God; and you can experience it even during difficult times in your life.  

The word rejoice in the bible means to have a supernatural joy given by the Holy Spirit.  It means to be joyful, not just happy.  Happiness is conditional, however; joy comes from the Lord!  This joy is produced by the Holy Spirit, so we as believers can be joyful always!  

You might  have gone through many hardships in your life.  Your parents might have neglected you, maybe you were abused or treated badly by a loved one, family member or friend.  When you give your life to Christ you become a part of the family of God, and God becomes your father.  God then places His Holy Spirit on the inside of you, and you begin to experience an indescribable joy deep down in your heart! You then start to realize that God’s love for you is eternal, and nothing will be able to separate you from his joy and love; the devil himself cannot separate you from God’s love; so you no longer need to fear any situation or circumstance. Why? Because the joy of the Lord is your strength!

Pastor Marcus