Thinking about Rejoicing

rejoice: "to be glad; take delight (often followed by 'in')." Dictionary.com

In reading the Bible the last few days, I've been camping on 2 Cor. 13:11.

"Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you." (ESV)

I was struck by how often God calls us to rejoice through the authors of the New Testament and the Psalms, as well as by Jesus Himself. According to the Strongs Concordance (via blueletterbible.com), in the KJV there are 74 uses of "chairo", the word we translate as, "rejoice." In all of the these contexts, the idea fits the dictionary.com definition.

I can't think of one person in Scripture who calls us to rejoice from an ivory tower. They've been through the wringer and then some, many being tortured and eventually put to death. Jesus called us to rejoice specifically in the midst of persecution, then showed us how with his life. James does the same thing (James 1:2, though it's not the same word, it's the same principle). Paul calls us to rejoice numerous times, even from a Philippian jail (Phil. 3:1 & 4:4). David is being chased by Saul to be put to death, then, later, by his own son, yet praises God in the midst of those times. These guys didn't ignore their pain, or practice the 'power of positive thinking.' They just made the choice to rejoice in the midst of it, knowing that, "... for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose." (Rom. 8:28) (ESV)

So today I make the choice to rejoice. I'm not ignoring my pain, or the difficulties of life. Nor am I rejoicing because things are particularly easy, or because life is better for me than 80% of the people of the world. I'm simply choosing to, "take delight in" Christ, what He has done in and around me and those I love, and what He's going to do, even when I don't have the faintest idea what that is, because I know He is trustworthy, and He loves me more than I can fathom... literally. I can't grasp how much He loves me. It's amazing. And knowing my heart as little as I do compared to His knowledge of me, that's a love that I know has my best interests in mind, and won't let me down, even if I - or those I love - were to die today.

I say that now. God, please help me to rejoice when I don't feel like it; when life throws me a curve ball and I want to get angry, cry, or lash out at somebody because they've hurt me. Please help me to trust you at those points, to, and remember what it means to "praise you in the storm."