Rejoice Always

"And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.  For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.  And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation." Luke 1:46

What a beautiful passage.  Mary's Song, the Magnificat is one of my favorites.  What a beautiful heart to respond to her Lord like this…a bond slave in love with her Lord...completely devoted.

Hidden in this passage is some great truth in action.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks.  In past journal entries I've briefly talked about praying unceasingly and in everything give thanks but what about rejoice always?  How are we to accomplish such a thing?

Mary gives us a tremendous example here.  Have you noticed what she's rejoicing about or how she's rejoicing?  If you'll go back and read the entire song, you'll see that Mary is calling into remembrance what God has done in the past, calling into remembrance what He is doing in the present, and calling into remembrance what He is going to do in the future.

What can really help, as well, is if we recognize that she is calling these things into remembrance on a personal level and a "national level".  She rejoices that God has been mindful of her.  She rejoices that all future generations shall call her blessed.  But she also rejoices that He has helped Israel, brought down rulers, and promises blessing from generation to generation; even to Abraham and all generations.

Carol often tells me that I should be thankful for my testimony.  She kind of grew up in the faith.  She gave her life to Christ at an early age and grew up learning, highlighting, and tearing up the Word of God.  She doesn't have a "from darkness to light" experience that I have.  Many are the times I have called into remembrance the life of darkness, hopelessness, drugs, and mental illness only to REJOICE and see what He did, what He is doing and what He is going to do in my future...even in eternity.

I love when God speaks and shows me what He is presently doing in me.  I love the times when he sets me down to speak with me about what He is doing in my life....explaining away the confusion, helping me to understand the difficulties, revealing to me the deep redemptive work that is taking place in me and in the Church.  I marvel when He shows me glimpses of the future...eternal glory...things no eye has seen, no mind can conceive...and he calls me to pray for a pure, spotless, blameless, bride of Christ...fully mature...prepared for the Groom.

Early in my walk I remember being fascinated with God's historical and ultimately, eternal, redemptive work He was, and is doing in His people.  I loved learning about how all of history connected to fulfill His purpose...from the garden to the exodus to the judges, the prophets, the garden again, the cross, and of course, the church...even through Revelation.  It was not difficult to call into remembrance on a "national level" God's work in the past, the present, the future, and to rejoice.

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”             2 Corinthians 10:4

Our minds seem to like activity, and the Word of God warns us that our hearts and minds are continually under attack.  It seems the world, the flesh, and the devil are constantly attempting to fill them with JUNK...constantly trying to suck our minds into their lying, deceptive perspective....and they are often quite powerful and effective.  We must continually be busy about "casting down vain imaginations and making every thought captive to the obedience of Christ."

When it comes to matters of faith and personal history with God, my memory becomes strangely fuzzy.  As I have mentioned before, that is part of the reason I journal...to have a concrete record of what God is showing me.  When I fill my mind with the activity of God, rejoicing and calling into remembrance what he is doing in the past, the present, and the future...I find victory over lying strongholds and everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. 

So rejoice always...calling into remembrance God's work in the past, the present, and the future.