Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of the Messiah, so that you may also rejoice with great joy at the revelation of His glory. 1 Peter 4:13 HCSB
When I read this verse it reminded me of an old song that I used when conducting Children's worship. The song is based on Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice.” The lyrics for the song are simply the words from Scripture: “Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice. Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice. Rejoice. Rejoice. And again I say rejoice.”
Peter was reminding his readers that they should rejoice whenever they suffered just as Christ, the Messiah, suffered. The suffering is an indicator that we are children of God. Someday when Christ returns to earth to gather all who believe in Him, it will be a day of rejoicing because the glory of the Lord will be revealed to everyone.
Challenge: Make a list of the numerous reasons you have to rejoice. Include the abundant blessings God has provided. Spend time rejoicing and praising God for the many ways He has blessed you. Then make a list of any difficulties or problems that you are currently facing. This will be difficult, but again spend some time rejoicing and praising God. It is always easier to rejoice over the good in our lives and feel overwhelmed by the bad. As you rejoice over your challenges, your attitude will change and you will begin to see how God works His will through both the good and bad we encounter in life. Rejoice always, and again I say rejoice. Listen to the song Rejoice on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzyckxqXoZ4