Purposeful Living

How to Rejoice in the Lord in Every Season

The tulip poplar leaves are just beginning to emerge like tiny hands waving at the cobalt sky.  For six fleeting months, they will greet the dawn with their flapping waves as if they’re living to the full.  As I gaze at them, they’re a reminder of how to rejoice in the Lord no matter what the season of life looks like.

How to Rejoice in the Lord in Every Season

Most of us want to know the secret: How do I live this one life well?  How do I learn to rejoice in the Lord always and not just when circumstances are going my way?

A red-winged blackbird glides over the field behind the house, and our caged quail calls for a mate. I turn the pages for words about how to live this day to its fullest, and I find them:

       This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

Perhaps this verse holds the secret for how to rejoice in the Lord in every season.  Let’s unpack this verse and see what it can teach us about how to rejoice in the Lord.

1. I can rejoice in the Lord when I remember that this day is his gift to me.

The Lord has brought this day to pass, and it is his gift to me: This is the day which the Lord has made.”

I can rejoice in it when I receive the day as grace and count the blessings and the trials as grace, unmerited favor.

I find joy when I choose to believe that the long line of traffic is all part of some divine plan and when I leave space in my days to talk to strangers.  Additionally, I uncover joy when I slow my pace and take photos of flowers in the yard.  In these moments, I learn to give thanks for God’s gifts throughout my days.

In these ways, gratitude teaches me how to rejoice in the Lord, even on the hardest days.  I count each day as a gift and don’t waste the gift by being ungrateful.

2. I can rejoice when I choose to cultivate joy instead of grumbling.

The second part of the verse reads: “let us rejoice.”

Each day offers a choice: I will either choose to cultivate joy or choose to cultivate grumbling.

I can grumble about the weather, or I can give thanks for another day to feel the hot sun upon my skin.

I can complain about the messes my family leaves for me to clean up, or I can thank God that I have a family to clean up after.  Instead of focusing on the work they bring into my life, I can thank God for their presence.

The same is true in the workplace.  I can grumble about my boss, my workload, or my coworkers.  Or I can thank God that I have a job and aim to love others when I go to work each day.

Each day offers a choice: I will either choose to cultivate joy or choose to cultivate grumbling. #choosejoy #encounteringGod #gratitude Click To Tweet

3. I can rejoice in the Lord by remembering that he is my great reward.

The final part of the verse reads: “be glad in it.”

I learn how to rejoice in the Lord when I learn to see God’s hand in all of my moments.  When I see God, I see him in the leaves bursting forth from the poplar tree.  I see him in the eyes of the delivery man as he walks to the door with his tired shoulders and a forced smile.

God is present in the tenderness of my child’s embrace, but he is also present amid the frustration of the computer software that refuses to download.  No matter what happens to me during any given day, he is my great reward.

How to rejoice in the Lord

I reflect on this as the springtime wind blows from the south.

The poplar leaves point heavenward: tiny hands, praising their Maker.  I commit to continue praising him, too, no matter what comes my way.

A Free Devotional to Help You Learn How to Rejoice in the Lord

Does the idea of slipping away to a beautiful place to recharge and refresh sound inviting?  Space for Your Soul to Stretch is your invitation to create space to rest in God’s presence.  This free online devotional will take you on an eight-day journey to encounter God’s created world and spend time in his written Word.  You will walk away from this journey replenished and refreshed each day.   Download it right here.

These Two Books are Free on Kindle Unlimited as eBooks and Also Available in Print:

God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone.  Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life.  Find this life-changing book in eBook form for free on the Kindle Unlimited Plan or for 12.99 in print right here.  (You can sign up for a free three-month Kindle Unlimited trial if you are not a member.) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!

Calling All Moms and Daughters!

Additionally, my 12-year-old daughter, Bekah, and I wrote a mother-daughter devotional book to help mothers and daughters grow closer together while connecting with God.  Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith includes 60 devotions with Scripture, commentaries from both of us, conversation starters, and even a shared journaling section.  Multitudes of mothers, daughters, mentors, and younger women are being transformed by this book!  You can find this book in eBook form for free on the Kindle Unlimited Plan or buy a print copy for 11.99 right here.

 

Scriptures: James 4:14, Psalm 118:24 NASB

I’m passionate about equipping others to encounter God in powerful and life-changing ways. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me hiking, jogging, exploring wild places with my three young children and husband, leading small groups, and mentoring younger women. A certified special education teacher, I am on leave from the classroom for a season of chasing frogs and playing in creeks with my little ones. Most of all, the compassionate love of Jesus has forever ravished my heart, and I'm emphatic about making his love known to the world.