Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. (Philippians 4:4 ESV)
Rejoice
Recently, DeAnne and I went out for ice cream. And that ice cream was incredible. It was a stunning flavor. The texture was silky yet firm. It even had an aroma that was amazingly desert-ish.
But I did not really rejoice, because it did not last long.
I enjoy my lawn mower. We bought it almost eight years ago, and that machine has made mowing a delight. It is efficient, powerful, fast, and the envy of most of my neighbors.
But I do not rejoice about it, because it already is starting to show signs of age.
My favorite pet was a dog in Australia. It was a funny beast, a sheep dog that was afraid of sheep. The shepherd finally got tired of the struggle, and gave Bonnie to us. This dog was gentle, smart, and loyal. And it herded my toddler son away from dangerous places on our property!
But I did not rejoice about that dog, because it became sick, and died.
The only really rejoiceable thing in the universe is the only eternal all-powerful thing in the universe. God Himself.
And we can rejoice in the Lord because He is present in our lives graciously, powerfully, graciously, lovingly, graciously, shockingly, graciously, and eternally.
What a blessing rejoicing is.