阅读经文 

在我担任校牧的学院，四月底是快乐的时光。课程已经修完，大考也结束了！许多星期以来所积聚的压力突然间缓解了，我们随处可见笑逐颜开的面孔。

无论在任何境况中，压力得到缓解总能带来会心的微笑和欣喜，甚至是欢乐的庆祝。

神所说的话，以各种形式来表达“要喜乐”的信息，这是最常见的教导之一，你是否感到出乎意料呢？查考《圣经》索引时，我们虽然不一定时常找到“快乐”（happy）这个单词，但我们若包括要高兴（be glad）、要喜乐（to rejoice）和要喜悦（to be joyful）等关键词来扩大查考范围，我们便会发觉，这项教导确实经常在《圣经》中出现。甚至上一代人熟悉的一首喜闻乐见和朗朗上口的歌曲《不要忧虑，要快乐》也反映出这个圣经中常见的主题。

神不单吩咐我们要喜乐，祂更以祂的灵赐给我们内在的喜乐，这是何等奇妙的恩福啊！圣灵在祂子民的生命中生出喜乐来，不单在他们身处“快乐”的境况时才如此；纵使处在牢狱捆锁之中，保罗和西拉仍然能够喜乐地唱诗。（参徒 16:25-34）按圣灵而行的人，在任何境况中都能拥有喜乐。

The end of April is a happy time at the college where I serve as a chaplain. Classes are finished, and final exams are complete! Suddenly stress that has been building for weeks is released, and we see smiling faces all around.

In all kinds of situations, release from stress can lead to smiles and joy and even rejoicing and celebration.

Would you be surprised to know that some variation of "Be happy" is one of the most common instructions to us in God's Word? While a search of the Bible may not always turn up the word "happy," when we add the instructions to be glad, to rejoice, and to be joyful, we realize that this command does occur quite often in Scripture. Even the catchy title of a song from a past era, "Don't Worry, Be Happy," is a reflection of this common theme in God's Word.

What a remarkable blessing it is that God not only commands us to be joyful but also produces joy in us by his Spirit. The Spirit produces joy in the lives of his people not only when they are surrounded by "happy" circumstances. Even while chained in prison, Paul and Silas were able to sing with joy (see Acts 16:25-34). People who walk by the Spirit can find joy in all circumstances.