Rejoice Always!

Today I was very discouraged, so I decided to take a walk and get some fresh air. As I was walking outside, admiring the beautiful fall colors that exploded all around me, I began to talk to Jesus and take my discouragement to Him. I had hardly began and spoken the words "Lord, I'm so discouraged!" when suddenly a very familiar phrase came to me:

1 Thessalonians 5:16 "Rejoice always!"

Now the Lord knew why I was discouraged. And this may sound as if He either didn't know what I was facing and how it makes me feel, or perhaps He didn't care. But I know my Lord, and I know that nothing could be further from the truth.

He wasn't telling me to "rejoice!" because He didn't know my circumstances - He was telling me to rejoice, because He knows it is the solution to my circumstances!

What is the cure for discouragement? Encouragement. How do you get encouraged? By looking for the reasons you have to be happy- (to Rejoice)!

What is one of the major reasons a Christian has to be happy?

One reason is given in Psalm 32: 1-2

"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,

whose sin is covered;

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not

impute iniquity."

Though we all are sinners by nature, we are forgiven! Our sins have been "taken away!" And

1 Thessalonians 5:9,10 gives us an even better reason to rejoice:

"For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain

salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died

for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should

live together with Him."

Regardless of our troubles, and our insecurities, our sins are forgiven us, and we have obtained salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Because of this, we can know that we will be with Him forever. That is reason to rejoice!

And our greatest comfort!