Rejoice in the Lord

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Philippians 4:4

Some friends dropped by for a visit this week as they drove through Quesnel from the lower mainland up to see family in Smithers. These are dear friends we have seen very little over the years. We have the similar experience of cross cultural mission work. They in Asia, we in Africa. So we've rarely been on the same continent. 

Being in the same province is a good start.

There are many downsides to getting older, but an upside is experiencing the joy of relationships maturing over decades. Decades deep of memories, laughter, inside jokes, shared experiences.

This got me thinking – what if - what if we could have these friendships over centuries? How much more joy would fill the room? How lively would dinner be? How much wisdom could be shared over a coffee?How long would the laughs last?

Now imagine, if it’s even possible, friendships that last millennials. Thousands of years. 

Ok, keep going. What about a relationship measured in millions of years, an eternity in the making? What intensity of love, understanding and joy would there be?

Friends, this is the joy of the Lord. The joy that can only be found in the Lord. 

God is one. And yet He is three persons: Father, Son and Spirit. 

There is so much mystery in this three-and-one creator. But there is also surprising reality. In the three-and-also-one God is the fullest of joy exploding from eternity past into the eternity future.

It is no wonder that Paul instructs us to ‘rejoice in the Lord.’ Who else or what else could be possibly worth rejoicing in? In the Lord is where we can find the deep, satisfying joy that we look for. Through Jesus we’re invited into the joy of the Triune God. 

Seeing, participating and entering into this joy overcomes every possible circumstance we can face. And so, Paul continues, the mark of the one who knows this joy is reasoned gentleness (v. 5) and peace beyond explanation (v. 6).

As David writes in Psalm 16:11:

You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

May we be a people in His presence experiencing the fullness of His joy.