WAY #25: REJOICE ALWAYS

 
REJOICE ALWAYS. The Kingdom of God is a party!  Let healthy laughter fill our meetings, our meals, and even our worship. Let the joy of our faith be clearly evident in our speech and on our faces.
 
a “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet.  And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.” (Luke 15: 22 – 24)
 
b Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! (Philippians 4: 4)
 
c A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. (Proverbs 17: 22)
 
Ideas for Action: Plan a party for the coming weekend and invite a couple of individuals or families over to celebrate. Don’t forget the cake! What’s the occasion? The joy of knowing and serving Jesus and belonging to our church family are reasons enough.

 

Daily Devotionals

 
MONDAY:
Genesus 2:4-9
THINK: In the second account of Creation,we see God planting a garden just for humans. There is something so intimate and sweet about God gardening to create a special place for us. When God made humans, he also made a place for us to eat, play, dance, run, climb, create, and enjoy. He made a literal paradise so that people could enjoy it and Rejoice Always.
PRAY: and thank God for the joyful gifts He has given you.

TUESDAY:

Luke 17:11-19
THINK: We don’t read this passage often because the essential idea is “Everyone dies, so you might as well enjoy your life.” Pleasant, right? But wealth, eat your food, drink your wine, enjoy your life,and Rejoice Always.
PRAY: with God about what you don’t currently enjoy enough that you should.

WEDNESDAY:

Luke 17:11-19
THINK: Of the 10, 1 returned to thank Jesus. To be fair to the others, they just had their lives changed and may have gotten distracted by all the new possibilities in front of them. They may have been so filled with rejoicing that they forgot to be thankful. Those two though, rightly belong together. Any moment of mirth, revelry, excitement, and fun is a moment to be thankful. When you Rejoice Always, find moments in the joy to be thankful.
PRAY: in the middle of a good moment later today with a simple and silent “Thank you.”

THURSDAY:

Philippians 4:4
THINK: We can rejoice in the Lord always because we are with the Lord always. When you became Christian and received the Spirit, you became united with God. At every party, night out, night in, dinner date, and promotion, God is there rejoicing with you. Don’t make Rejoice Always too churchy; just rejoice and know that your maker and Savior rejoices with you.
PRAY: for God to send you things to rejoice over.

FRIDAY:

Luke 15:17-24
THINK : After insulting his father, running away from home,and spending his entire inheritance, the son is greeted with a hug and a party. At times, our faith can emphasize so strongly how we have fallen short that we forget that God celebrates us anyway. God wants you to be joyful. God wants you to have a good life. Don’t lose sight of the truth that our God loves you and wants nothing but the best for you. He seeks to give you every opportunity to Rejoice Always.
PRAY: that you could see what God wants for you.

SATURDAY:

Proverbs 17:22
THINK: It is a choice to rejoice. Often we rejoice as a reaction to good things, but we also bemoan bad things. We do not Rejoice Always because everything is going our way. We Rejoice Always because we choose to emphasize the gifts God has given us, that even when in prison, Paul can count himself blessed.  We look to Rejoice Always as a disposition towards our lives that, in good times and bad, we an see the gifts God has given us.
PRAY: through some of the gifts you have that you often take for granted. Rejoice with God.

Devotional Guides

SERIES ONE  Printable copy of Way #25 Devotionals (Small Group Guide)
 
SERIES TWO Printable copy of Way #25 Devotionals (Series Two)