Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
—Philippians 4:4

Yeshua’s first miracle in the Gospel of John was turning water into wine at a wedding celebration. What does this teach us? For one, this reveals to us that our God is happy and joyful. I believe Jesus performed His first miracle in an atmosphere of celebration as a way of calling us to walk in an attitude of happiness and victory by practicing rejoicing. 

The challenges we face here on earth make it easy for us to become negative, but God is calling us to swim upstream. Instead of letting the trials of life get us down, He wants us to practice rejoicing because the joy of the Lord is our strength.

Not many years ago, the Lord spoke audibly to my spirit, and I clearly heard Him say: “Rejoice continually, and you’ll overcome every obstacle.” One of the ways we rejoice continually is by knowing that our difficulties are going to pass and we will overcome. The Lord wants us to rejoice in the midst of whatever we’re facing, knowing that we’re going to come out of it shining even more brightly because “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” So, beloved one, break off everything that would cause you to be discouraged and sad. Rejoice continually, and you’ll overcome every obstacle. Our God is happy, and He’s calling us to a joyful, celebratory life in Him.

Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider, Entering His Presence (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2023), Used by permission.