Time To Rejoice

Dominion Posts by Deci Schneider
Aug 13, 2021
2 min read

Though the fig tree may not blossom,

Nor fruit be on the vines;

Though the labor of the olive may fail,

And the fields yield no food;

Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,

And there be no herd in the stalls—

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,

I will joy in the God of my salvation.

Habakkuk:17,18

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,

1Peter 1:6,7

We have a misconception that the time of rejoicing is when all things work perfect for us and life is peachy with no recognizable trouble. Unfortunately this is not what the Bible tells us. On the contrary, the utmost time to rejoice is when we face opposition and persecution. Joy is spiritual strength that comes from a full persuasion of faith. Joy, same as faith, is not circumstance dependent but is Word-of-God based. When one has an unwavering confidence in God, that person is immovable and the force of joy keeps them advancing in the kingdom of God.

James writes "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds" (James 1:2). Jesus in His sermon on the mount states "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you..." (Matthew 5:11,12). These verses along with many others are our checkpoint whether we are in faith or in doubt. Faith withstands all and overcomes all, whereas doubt cowers and succumbs to all.

The greater confidence you have in the Word of God, the firmer your faith is and the stronger your joy will be. We know that faith comes from the hearing of His Word and joy is the byproduct of our faith. Faith always rejoices because faith has assured us of a victory already won in Christ. Our consistency of abiding in the Word is our assurance of an enduring faith and an unebbed joy. This is the power of the Christian believer.

Do not allow the enemy to rob you of your power and strength by distracting you and causing you to get engaged in the affairs of this world. Refuse to be side-tracked from the source of your life - the Word of God, His Word is the strength of your joy, which in turn is the strength of your life.