Rejoice in the Lord Always!

It’s because the road there is long, and uncertain. And unknown. That you want to hesitate and doubt what you’re doing. And where you’re going.

But you’re just following what God is putting before you to do. So you keep on going forward. You just keep on moving. It’s all you can do, all you must do. Doing the tasks before you, and the activities you have the opportunity to do, it’s all you can do.

So beware of thinking you must do more, and know more. For the details and the reasons are not for you to map out and follow just so. No. The moment you believe you must have it all figured out is the moment you will hesitate. Because the road there is long, so you will want to hesitate. You will hesitate over the reason you are doing what you are doing. You will hesitate over what the final outcome will be. You will hesitate over choosing the right path to take. You will hesitate and you will wonder. The moment you start thinking you have to have it figured out - the path you are on, the steps you are taking, the results you are making. You will hesitate.

So stop! Do not think for a moment your own understanding will bring understanding (Proverbs 3:5). It can’t. The ways of God are far above yours (Isaiah 55:9).

And your simple obedience in the day-to-day, mundane, ordinary things, is following His leading. It’s following Him. It is. Rejoice in what He has ordained, always, in the everyday, because it’s how you will see Him so as to follow Him. And what He has ordained isn’t always easy or comfortable. It’s not always what you want to do, but it is what you were made to do. And in it, you will find the joy of the LORD rising up within you. Because you see that it’s what you were created for - following Him.

So you don’t know how it’ll look in the end, or what the purpose is in it, never mind the reason behind it. So. You don’t know.

But He does.

Let Him lead you. Let Him guide you.

All the way.

God is directing your life.

All the way.

From the first steps of fear to the last steps of certainty. From the first steps of excitement to the last steps of tiredness. Every step is in His hands. Every step, on purpose. For you to know Him, to love Him, to see Him. More and more.

So the road may be long, rejoice! It’s more time with Him! So the path may be uncertain, rejoice! That’s how you’ll see a certain God Who is certainly sovereign over it all! So the outcome may be unknown, still, rejoice! That’s how you’ll learn to fully trust in a faithful God Who is known and wants to be known by you! So, you can rejoice!

And you can feel it, the joy of the Lord welling up from within you to overflowing. Because you’ve decided to rejoice in the Lord always!

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“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” - Philippians 4:4-8