Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
– Philippians 4:4

This is a very easy scripture to memorize and read but it’s not so easy to put into action.

With the Lubbock and San Angelo races under our belts we have seen a lot of reasons to rejoice. We have seen a wonderful boat count, and spectator count, at each event. The weather has held off, with the exception of a little delay in San Angelo on Sunday, and then raining at the awards in Lubbock. All in all we have been blessed and it’s been a great time and we have a lot to “rejoice” about.

The word says that we must “rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS.” Always rejoice in the Lord, always trust in the Lord, and always abide in the Lord. Another word for rejoice is joy. We must have joy in our lives if we are to overcome our daily circumstances. You see, joy is what gives you the strength (Neh. 8:10) to hold steady when the circumstances get rough. Joy gives you the ability to laugh in the devil's face when he starts trying to knock you off your faith. Joy gives you a kind of staying power that will make you a winner again and again.

When several boats, top fuel and pro mod, came close to hitting the bank and pier in San Angelo and Lubbock, joy was probably not the first thought on their minds. In fact, I bet they weren’t rejoicing either, as they were heading to a possible CRASH.  When Alan Tate was pitched out of his boat in Lubbock, and thank God he will have a full recovery, I bet it was hard to rejoice as he was rolling across the water. But we were all rejoicing and thanking God at the out ramp when “all was well.”

 You see, my bible says “joy comes in the morning.” Just stand fast and hold on because God is more than able to get us through our circumstances. I’ve said it time and time again; He is the God of too much. He wants to bless us and give us more than we can ever imagine, if we trust in Him and walk with Him daily. But…we must not only have faith and love, we must have joy. There is nothing more depressing than to see a down and out miserable Christian. How can you share your testimony with someone and have a frown on your face?

Make someone wonder and ask you, “what makes you so happy, I want what you have.”  That is when the Holy Spirit takes over and the joy of the Lord will come out of you and share the good news of Jesus.   So make a commitment to God that you're going to walk, not only in faith and in love but in joy as well. Make it a point to rejoice in the Lord always...and there won't be anything the devil can do or say to steal your victory from you!

Craig Garland, SDBA series Chaplain