Devotion:
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16.
Depending on the version of the Bible you have, this verse is tied for the shortest verse in the Bible. The NIV and other versions read “Rejoice always.” You could put it in large letters on a bumper sticker. It is the first of three short reminders of “God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (v. 18b). All three together read “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances…” Is it really possible to do the first and last of those? I imagine you can quickly think of some circumstances in your life at some point in which it was extremely hard, if not impossible, for you to rejoice and give thanks. I believe the key to being able to live this way is found in the middle of the three: “pray continually.” There have been many times in my life when I have had to pray for the Lord to show me how to rejoice or give thanks in a particular situation. And sometimes, it was only later that I could look back and see reasons to do both.
As we receive new experiences and continue through our journey of faith with our Lord, we begin to see more clearly how we can rejoice in what God is doing, no matter what happens. We can acknowledge that God is at work, even in the most difficult circumstances, to bring about something good. We have seen God do it before, which only increases our faith that God will do it again. We may not always be happy about the way things are going, but we can always know this joy of our Lord.
Most of all, we can have this joy because of how this letter ends: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”
Personal Worship Option:
How would you describe this call to “rejoice always” in your own words? With whom do you need to share that description?
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