Rejoice in the Lord
One of my favorite passages of scripture is Philippians 4:4-7. “Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again; rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.”
The Lord is near. What a wonderful thing to be reminded of in this time.
How do you rejoice in the Lord? Joy is such an interesting thing, isn’t it?
In my experience, it’s more of an attitude than a feeling - having joy doesn’t mean you are happy all the time; we still face hard times in our lives. Joy keeps us tuned to the presence of God in our lives so that when life’s little pleasures come our way, we can enjoy them and be reminded that God is with us, always.
Rejoice in the Lord always. The Lord is near. Let your heart be open to God’s presence being revealed to you in beautiful sunny days, in the smell of the grateful earth after the rain, in quiet moments of reflection and thanksgiving.
What are you thankful for today? Take some time to list those things in your prayer time, as a way of rejoicing in the Lord.
Today, I rejoice in the Lord through looking at nature. The beautiful green trees outside my window, my simple little vegetable and herb garden on the balcony. I planted it on Saturday and put some porch chairs out there, and in an instant, it became a retreat. An outside sitting place where I can drink hot tea and say my prayers of gratitude. Even my cat who has been way more moody than usual came out there with me to water the plants early on Sunday morning, and as I was sipping my tea, I stole a glance at her. She was just sitting there, contentedly looking at the new balcony garden as if she also had her own way of connecting with her creator.
Creation reminds us how to rejoice in the Lord. In the lull that physical distancing has created, have you noticed you can hear the birds more clearly? The trees seem greener, the air (minus the pollen) seems lighter and skies brighter. A time of hiding away can be a time of healing, when we remember that the Lord is near. Remember that, today. The Lord is near, creation rejoices in her creator and we can too.
Rejoice in the Lord today by giving thanks and noticing God’s handiwork all around you. The Lord is near! This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Sara Robb-Scott, Pastor for Senior Adults and Pastoral Care, First Baptist Church of Decatur