Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice! Do you remember singing that chorus when you were a kid? One of the things I learned well during my decades of chronic pain, rejoicing helps. Concentrating on the goodness of the Lord changed my focus from the temporary moment of my pain to the eternal blessing of knowing Him. Even in my darkest, hardest, most painful seasons, I couldn’t set aside these truths: God loves me; God sent His Son to take the penalty of my sins; Jesus is saving a place for me in heaven; the Holy Spirit is my constant companion and guide—I face no conflict alone; this world is not my home; Jesus will never forsake me… All of these things (and more!) are reasons to rejoice. Jesus said in John 10:28, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” Read that, dear Christian, and rejoice!
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