The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"Always Rejoicing"
"And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong" (II Corinthians 12:9-10).
Note the Apostle Paul did not state he felt pleasure in the difficult challenges of life. "I take pleasure" he rather affirmed. God offered Paul, as he does all, the inward joy of the heart that transcends mere emotions or sensations of our outward members and faculties. Thereby, the Apostle could justifiably command all believers to "rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice" (Philippians 4:4). Or, as James mandated, "Count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations (trials" - James 1:2).
There are times in life when all feeling and sensation flow with the current of sorrow. Such experience is real and not to be discounted. The God "full of compassion" certainly does not minimize the pains and griefs His sons and daughters in Christ presently experience during our earthly sojourn (Psalm 86:15). Our great high priest, the Lord Jesus, is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities" (Hebrews 4:14). We can be sure our challenges and the emotions and sensations they bring to us matter to the God who is "very pitiful and full of tender mercy" (James 5:11).
It remains true, however, that our Lord calls us to "rejoice… always" and to "take pleasure" in our trials He could not righteously command such a proactive action of the heart were it not possible. The issue lies in the truth of who we most deeply are in Christ. "Ye are not in flesh, but in the spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you" (Romans 8:9). All can be crashing down upon the outer court of our being. In the holy of holies where the Spirit of God dwells within our spirit, however, the peace of Christ rules. From this place of grace, we can make the choice to rejoice, that is, to "rejoice in the Lord" regardless of circumstance, condition, or situation. God is who He is to us, for us, and within us, regardless of all else.
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof" (Psalm 46:1-3).
Somewhere just now, a broken, battered, and shattered believer raises a pained and perplexed, but trusting voice to the Lord…
"I do not understand, Father. I do not know what to do. And I hurt more keenly than I can begin to express. But… but I trust You. And in the depths of my spirit, beyond emotion and sensation, I rejoice in You, knowing that You are who You are for me, no matter what. I take the pleasure You offer, Father, the pleasure of honoring Your beloved Son and my beloved Savior by seeing His light as it shines the the darkness. Yes, I trust You."
One can only imagine what such an expression of faith must mean to the Heart of the God so full of compassion. However, we know He will reveal Himself deep in the hearts of those who trust even as they hurt. And we know that His child will realize that God is indeed "our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Yes, in the depths of our spirits, where the Spirit of Christ dwells, we can rejoice even when emotions and sensations flow in a completely different direction. Paul well knew this, and affirmed the joy and pleasure always available to our hearts…
"As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing."
(II Corinthians 6:10)
Weekly Memory Verse
He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He.
(Deuteronomy 32:4)
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