Rejoice!

 

[The following is a manuscript of my short devotional message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 31st of August, 2025, the fifth Sunday of the month, when we usually do a sing-along service.  A recording of our service may be available on our YouTube streaming channel, if everything goes right: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

In verses 11 and 12 of the 5th chapter of his Gospel account, the Apostle Matthew recorded Jesus speaking to the multitude in His Sermon on the Mount when our Lord promised us that…

11 “Blessed are you when people revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” 

--Matthew 5:11-12 (NKJV)

But Jesus also assures us that any sufferings we bear now will be short-lived.  The Apostle John recorded this for us in verse 33 of the 16th chapter of his Gospel account when Jesus said…

33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” 

--John 16:33 (NKJV)

We know all about tribulation, don’t we.  But Jesus tells us not to fret over it, because He has already fought and won the battle with everything associated with the world and this earthly life.  Our time on this earth is short, but our next life, the life that Jesus won for us, will last forever.  For this, we should be joyful, because it shows how much God and Jesus love us.  So we should let love be the foundation of our joy, as the Apostle Paul notes in verses 9 through 15 of the 12th chapter of his letter to the Romans…

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 

--Romans 12:9-15 (NKJV)

Jesus said we will suffer tribulations in this life and Paul tells us to rejoice in the hope Jesus gives and to be patient in those times of tribulation.  But we must not allow our love to suffer as we suffer.  We must not let our love diminish, even in the face of persecution.  The prophet Habakkuk, in verses 17 and 18 of the 3rd chapter of his book of prophecy, instructs us that no matter what we face, no matter what we go through, let us remember the reward that awaits us: our salvation…

17 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 —

18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,

I will joy in the God of my salvation. 

--Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NKJV)

The world is in a constant state of turmoil.  There’s violence and madness and evil all around.  Yet no matter what happens, I will rejoice in the Lord.  I will joy in the God of my salvation.

So let’s sing to our Lord with a new song, a new heart, a new sense of mission, giving Him all praise and glory.  And right now, right here this morning, let’s start by making a joyful noise to our Lord!  For God is good all the time.  And all the time, God is good!

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for choosing us to follow Your Christ, Your Son Jesus.  Thank You for giving us faith that we can be made right in Your sight.  Father, because of our faith and Your promises, we look forward to the day when Jesus returns to set the world right.  We don’t relish the thought of being judged for the bad we have done in our lives, but we know we are saved from eternal damnation by our belief in Jesus as Your Son and our acceptance of Him as Lord.  By His blood, we are redeemed.  Please help us be more merciful and kind, more humble and gentle, more giving and forgiving in our daily walk, so that we might show the world Your love through our love.  May we always sing Your praises, glorifying You in all we do.  This we pray in the blessed name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.