FEBRUARY 2026 NEWSLETTER

  

FEBRUARY 2025 NEWSLETTER

Robert Lindenberger

405 Indian River Ave. 504.

Titusville, FL 32796.

321 – 368 – 7184

expas65@yahoo.com

 

God is good all the time; all the time, God is good!

 

Can I be happy and sad at the same time?

 

      “Rejoice in the Lord always.”  Through these five words, God has shown me that my internal joy cannot be tied to my external circumstances.  When I experienced family tragedies, when my flaws were exposed, and when my meaningful relationships were broken or dysfunctional, God reminded me that joy in the Lord was/and is still possible.

 

      God does not cruelly tell us to put a smile on our faces no matter the pain in our hearts.  Philippians 4:4 reminds us that no matter what is happening around us, we can still have immense joy because God, not our circumstances, is the source of all joy.

 

      “Rejoice no matter what.”  And “rejoice in the Lord always” are two very important imperatives.  God never tells us to rejoice, no matter what, simply.  He tells us to rejoice in him no matter what.

 

      My life is hard; is it okay to be sad?  If a dream of mine is not coming true, is it a sin to be discontent?  Does “rejoice in the Lord always” mean I must be happy no matter what?

 

      Sometimes, understanding what is being said in the Bible helps to define what is not being said.  But God wants us to be content in every situation, which is why we must become blind to real pain in the world or in our own lives.

 

      God really cares about the details of our human lives(1 Peter 5:7), so to reflect him as image-bears, we must care about the details, too.  Jesus, the most fully human person ever to live, cried bitterly in response to the pain of his friend, even while knowing better than any of them the miracle that was about to take place (John 11:35).  To be human is to care deeply about things on planet Earth.

 

      Like Jesus, we care about life’s pain, trials, and hardships.  Now, even though we are confident of the joy that will come later.  God is sovereign, “declaring the end from the beginning.”  (Isaiah 46:10), but he still cares about everything that happens in between.  As his followers, so should we.

 

      Paul said, “For I have learned in whatever situation I am in to be content.”  (Philippians 4:11).  He never said he was happy “with” these circumstances.  Nowhere in the Bible are we told we must enjoy unwanted circumstances.  We are told, rather, to enjoy Christ even in undesirable circumstances.  The command to rejoice is not a command to be a coldhearted robot that pretends pain isn’t real.  You are not called to be content “failing health, your love-paying job, your rebellious children, or your divided country.  To claim contentment “with” a sinful, unjust, and broken world is not holiness, and it is certainly not what God commands.

 

      One day, perfect circumstances and perfect contentment in Christ will collide Revelation 21:1-5).  Actually, can we work to fix this broken planet now?  Absolutely.  But we must also come to grips with the fact that until Jesus comes and makes all things new, we will often be sorrowful because of the pain on planet Earth while also always rejoicing because of the perfections of our Savior (2 Corinthians 6:10).  To be able to grieve UB and rejoice relentlessly at the same time is a mark of Christian maturity.

 

      So, to “rejoice in the Lord always,” you don’t need to feel guilty for wanting certain parts of your life to change it to get better.  It is only an issue when your desire for better circumstances is crowding out your passion for the Lord.

 

      God wants to walk with you through the pain, trials, and unwanted circumstances.  He never asked us to deny the issues in the world or in our own hearts.  Rather, he calls us to always drink deeply of the joy found in him alone, no matter what.

 

      John 13:33-35 Little children, yet a little while I am with you.  You will seek Me: and as I said unto the Jews, wherever I go, you cannot come; so now I say to you.  I give you a new commandment: that you love one another, as I have loved you, and that you also love one another.  By this shall all men know that you are my disciples; if you love one another, as I have loved you, you also love one another.  By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.

 

      Do you know you?  You are God’s special loved one?  Do you know why?  When you are saturated in Jesus, and God looks at you, he says his own precious son and envelopes you into his love for Jesus’ sake.

 

      As you and I develop and grow in this loving relationship with God, we will be abiding with him through meaningful prayer and Bible reading, getting to know him on a deeper level.  As we live out what we say we believe, he identifies us.  We know this because the Bible says, “God is love.  Whosoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.”(1 John 4:16).

 

      As you and I are filled with God, we will be filled with His love – not only for him but for others.  The key to loving others is to develop your relationship with God.  Ask Him to fill your life and make you overflow with his love, even for those you don’t like!  Fall in love with him over and over again.  The closer you come to him, the brighter the light shines.  And people will see Jesus in you.

                                                                                                   – – Anne Graham Lotz