Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice.
Philippians 4:4
I want to use as the basis of this “good word” the notes taken from the Helps Word Studies and integrate my thoughts throughout. I’ve italicized the remarks from Helps to differentiate my thoughts. As well, I’ve added a link at the end to a limited offer that Discovery Bible (creators of Helps word Study) is offering). This does not benefit me, but I thought some of you may enjoy the resource.
On to our thought for the day ~
From Helps Word Study - ‘Rejoice’
5463 xaírō (from the root xar-, "favorably disposed, leaning towards" and cognate with 5485/xáris, "grace") – properly, to delight in God's grace ("rejoice") – literally, to experience God's grace (favor), be conscious (glad) for His grace.
The Apostle Paul writes from Romans, ‘it is by faith we access this grace in which we stand and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that...but we rejoice in our sufferings..’ I think as you study this out, you will find, like myself, that a lack of rejoicing frustrates the grace that could be ours. Every situation we face comes down to a matter of faith. He who comes to God MUST BELIEVE. Jesus, in Mark chapter nine rebukes the disciples, the crowd, and a father over the unbelief calling them a ‘faithless generation’. The correction Jesus brought into that circumstance was ‘If you can believe! All things are possible to Him who believes...’
We find from Romans 5 this grace must be accessed by faith and by faith we must ‘stand’ in it. Paul went on to write in this same chapter ~ where sin abounds grace does much more abound. Can you see why Paul exhorts ‘not to receive the grace in vain’? We all must, like Paul, face the hardship and endure the sufferings to experience grace; for His grace is sufficient. When I am weak, then is He strong. Rejoicing leans into the grace and as you follow the exhortation in this portion of Philippians, it is the rejoicing, the leaning into grace, that brings the dismembered, separated, anxious thoughts back into His wholeness (peace). What is prayer, but our communication and realignment to the thoughts and will of our Father. Rejoicing puts us in remembrance of Him, His ways and His will.
5463/xairō ("glad by grace") has a direct "etymological connection with xaris (grace)" (DNTT, 2, 356). S. Zodhiates (Dict, 1467) likewise comments that 5479/xará ("joy") and 5485/xáris ("grace") are cognates of 5463/xaírō ("to rejoice") – i.e. all share the same root and therefore the same core (fundamental) meaning.
5463/xairō ("rejoice") is also cognate with 2168/euxaristéō ("give thanks for grace"). Both literally mean "grateful." ("Grateful" is an old English term, derived from the even older term, "grace-ful" – which literally means "fullness of grace.")
3. The core-idea of "rejoice" (5463/xaírō, "grateful") in its NT sense is "personally knowing God's grace at work." 5463/xaírō ("glad for God's grace") conveys rejoicing because knowing Him – affirming the Lord's grace is working out His eternal purpose regardless of circumstances.
Phil 4:4: "Continuously rejoice (5463/xaírō) always! Again I will say, continuously rejoice (5463/xaírō)!"
1 Thes 5:16,17: "16Continuously rejoice (5463/xaírō) always! [3842/pántote, i.e. "no matter what comes next"]. 17Continuously pray! – without ceasing (letting up)."
"Happiness" requires things going "our way." Rejoicing (5463/xaírō, "grace gladness") is simply being conscious of Christ's triumph and His unbounding grace. Accordingly, biblical rejoicing (5463/xaírō) is circumstance-independent – a continuous "defiant, 'nevertheless'" (K. Barth, The Epistle to the Philippians, 1962, 120; cf. Phil 2:17, 4:4).
Wanting more than we should brings discontentment, which overlooks rejoicing (5463/xaírō, "grace gladness"). True rejoicing however affirms the "slice" (scene) of life God has apportioned – embracing His way out (of the difficult circumstances). This strategy is defined only by the Lord's impartation of faith which brings His victory – regardless of the earthly outcome (cf. 1 Jn 5:4, Gk text).
Working it out . .The four terms derived from the xar- ("divine favor") enable the believer to always live in God's victory – who has already won the day!
5479/xara/"joy" ("conscious of God's grace") is the basis of 5463/xaírō ("delighted through grace"). The joy of knowing God's grace includes giving thanks (2168/euxaristéō) for it. All four terms form one essential semantic-unit, as all share the same root idea (xar-, i.e. God's favor, grace).
5463 (xairō) is the activity of acknowledging God's grace; 2168/euxaristéō ("giving thanks") is more reflective, looking back at what God's grace has done "good"; 5479/xará ("joy") is simply being "conscious of God's grace."
All these definitions bring new understanding and thoughts to the idea of joy and rejoicing. They bring a whole new meaning to “do all things without murmuring and complaining”. Don’t you think the fussing we do frustrates the grace that could be ours, or could the Father see it as despising the Spirit of grace? Count the number of times Paul has used these words throughout this book. It was the murmurs and complainers that God overthrew in the wilderness. If the “joy” of the Lord is our strength we so need to get this beyond, I know, and let it be our very nature to do!
At the beginning of 2020 we had an exhortation by the spirit of God to “guard thankfulness”. As we have progressed through this year, we had found many opportunities to guard that instruction. As we live in the world, we find much darkness and chaos, and I continually find myself searching the scriptures daily to know how to live in the midst of all the fear, confusion, unrest, mental anxieties, doubt and unbelief and, I believe, a personal discipline of ‘rejoicing’ is key. We can’t always change what goes on around us, but we can control what is happening within us.
The promised link:
https://thediscoverybible.com/landing-pages/thanksgiving-2020/