“Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice!”

Phil. 4:4 KJV

In Philippians 4 the Apostle Paul encouraged the Followers of Christ to “stand fast in the Lord” (vs 1) and to “rejoice always”!   The word “rejoice” here is taken from the Greek word “chairo” which means “to be glad, to be full of joy or to be elated”.   

We are familiar with being elated and full of joy over such things as getting a desired job, a raise, or when our favorite sports team wins a championship.  During those times our hearts overflow with gladness. And there is nothing wrong with expressing joy over those things. But if we can be filled with joy over secular things, how much more should the people of God be able to rejoice over the reality of the living God;  expressed and revealed to us in and through His Son, Jesus! The secular events in life are fleeting. They do not last. But the reality of God’s love is a constant and ever-present reality for the redeemed! 

To rejoice does not mean that we are always giddy with physical, animated expressions of excitement such as one might experience at a sports event.  But it does mean that we live with a consciousness of God’s Presence. We can see and sense His Presence revealed in creation as we take time to observe it.  And we can sense HIs quiet, gentle indwelling Presence within us when we take time to be still and focus our heart and mind upon Him.  Each day we can be conscious of Him.  Most often this consciousness is simply a quiet,  gentle “knowing” on the inside of us.   

This rejoicing is something that we can “always” do.  This rejoicing is not based upon our ever-changing circumstances in life.  Nor is it based upon our fickle feelings or emotions. Rather it is based upon the unchanging Person of Christ!  It is anchored in the sure and certain knowledge of Who He is!  We can rejoice in His grace. We can rejoice in His mercy.  We can rejoice in His love.  We can rejoice in His salvation.  We can rejoice in His peace.  We can rejoice in His provision. We can rejoice in His goodness and a multitude of other things that are found only in Him. As we become conscious of His ongoing engagement in our lives we can always find something in Him for which we can rejoice!  

Rev. James Black

“The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open unto their cry.”

Psalm 34:15 KJV

Have you ever wondered if the Lord hears you? The Word of God declares that He does! The Lord sees and hears both the good and the bad in everyone’s life.  Nothing escapes Him!   

But His ear is especially attentive to those He has redeemed!  The redeemed are those who have been made righteous by the precious blood of Christ (1 Pet. 1: 18-19).  The redeemed are His children.  No good parent ignores the cry of their child!  How much more then does our Heavenly Father hear the cry of His children!   

The question arises, however, as to why the answer to our cry has not yet come. There are many reasons. Sometimes the Lord is working in the lives of others in order to bring them to a place where they will respond.   This is especially true concerning our lost loved ones and our prodigals.  All of them are resistant to the drawing of the Holy Spirit.  It takes time for Him to break through their barriers of resistance. Sometimes He is working to orchestrate situations and circumstances that will meet our needs.  That too involves others. They too must respond to the Lord’s nudging in their heart.   Sometimes the answer is no because He knows that what we are asking for is not the best thing for us.

And sometimes, He is working to prepare us for the answer.   The delay deepens our faith; strengthens our perseverance and deepens our trust in Him and His Word!   If we continue to persevere and not waver, the Lord will respond with exactly what is needed at exactly the right time.

James W. Black

“The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.”

Psalm 145:18 NKJV

One of the most amazing things about the Lord Jesus is His longing to be near us!  Sin separated us from God.  Because of our sin,  His holiness would not permit Him to have close, intimate fellowship with us!   Yet He longed for us to experience His nearness!  Through His sacrificial death and powerful resurrection, He satisfied the just demands of a Holy God and bridged the gap that had separated us from Him!  He dealt once and for all with the sin problem on the cross and reconciled us unto Himself! (Col. 2: 13-15).  Now, it is possible for anyone who truly desires to know Him and fellowship with Him to enter into His Presence.  He has made it possible for anyone who truly wants to be near Him!   

 The Lord makes it clear that the experience of His nearness depends on whether one truly wants to be near Him!   He has already demonstrated that He longs to be near us!  So the question is do we really want to be near Him?  Unlike the false, secular, and pagan gods, He is not distant!  He is near.  But His nearness is only revealed to those who truly desire to be near Him!   (James 4:8).

His promise is definite, specific, and sure!  He is near to all those who call upon Him in truth!   To call upon Him in truth means that we truly repent of our sin, turn from our sin, and turn unto Him with the desire to know Him, follow  Him,  honor Him, walk with Him, and obey Him.  His will for us is clearly laid out for us in His Word. (Micah 6:8 & Ex. 20: 3-17).  Through the Person of The Holy Spirit, He empowers us to obey (Rom. 8:9-11), which means that His nearness is as close as our next breath! 

Rev. James W. Black