Rejoice in the Lord always.
—Philippians 4:4
I think I detect a black hole in the middle of our salvation story.
We have a good handle on our salvation past: buried in baptism, raised to new life, saved by grace through faith.
And we have a delightful view of our salvation future: home forever in glory.
But how do we view our here-and-now salvation between those two?
Life here has its trials and troubles. But nothing in our on-earth existence is beyond the reach of divine power, promise, and presence. Of all the things that matter to us now, the gift of our salvation should top the list.
When there is a lack of thought, feeling, or expression of joy, thanksgiving, and praise, we have a black hole in the story of our salvation.
Our salvation story has a past, a future—and a now.
Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS!