Rejoice!

Rejoice and be glad. Sing aloud. Biblical rejoicing is usually not quiet and subdued. No, one would break forth into loud singing. You would cry out and physically jump. Have you ever shouted God's praises?

Check out these instances in Psalm 33:1, Isaiah 54:1, Psalm 71:23 and Isaiah 49:21.

I know that there are different schools of thought about this. Some people might say,  "It doesn't take all that to praise the Lord". Or they may respond that it's not done like that in their church.

When Maurice and I were courting we attended very different churches. In my church we were loud. We jumped, clapped and played the drums. His church was much more reserved, solemn and meditative. We agreed as a couple that we both wanted something in between the two.

Too much or too little, even in praise and worship, can be a distraction from the One that we are praising and worshipping!

Just like anyone,  there can be times when we fall on our faces because we are overwhelmed with the majesty of God. There are also times of great outbursts of joy when we exclaim the wondrous works of our God. Both are appropriate. Both are acceptable to God. He deserves it all for sure!

When we religiously demand that God be honored in just one right way,  we miss the point. God sees your heart anyway. He knows your motivation. Is your praise dance for show and applause? Are you actually asleep in your prostrate worship? Are you judging others in Church because they wave their hands or stand for every song,  or not? Let's be real!

The highest praise in your "Hallelujah" might be in a car alone at the top of your lungs. In another instance,  you just may hear someone whisper "Glory to God" through their quiet tears of joy. What we ARE commanded to do, is to praise the Lord at all times and in all situations. That is always right and proper. There should be times of outbursts and joyful singing. There is nothing wrong with praising God in many ways and forms. Read Psalm 150 for more ideas.

It is fitting to be joyful in praise to our Worthy Lord. It doesn't matter how you do it,  just do it!

Pleasures Forevermore

Knowing Christ fulfills our joy and at his right hand are pleasures forever.

There Is no greater Joy than surrendering your life to Christ. Some may feel that this surrender would cost them everything but the opposite is true. He gives us everything we need to live and richly to enjoy when we surrender our lives and give everything to Him.

Lately, I have had an interest in minimalism. It is the thought that less is more. Having fewer possessions helps you be more grateful for what you have. It causes you to not be lustful or greedy, but more appreciative. When the rich young ruler said that he had kept all of the laws and prophets from his youth up, he asked what more Jesus required of him. Jesus pretty much told him to give all of his goods away. "Give to the poor and follow me", He said. The rich young ruler was overcome and could not believe that he would have to do such a great thing. It is interesting that giving those things away would be the price of receiving all that you could ever  need or want in Christ.

We are quick to worry about what we lose with Christ instead of what we gain.

God truly knows how to fulfill our joy. We think it lies in positions, and stuff and in money. The Bible is quick to let us know that whosoever will gain his life will lose it and whoever will lose his life for Christ's sake will gain it. It doesn't seem to make sense, but it is true.

Investing your life in Jesus is the best thing you could ever do. The return on that investment is monumental and eternal.

Real JOY!

Real Joy has to be found, developed and cultivated in our spiritual lives. I say that it is spiritual because other emotions that counterfeit as Joy are only fleeting. They are temporary and circumstantial. Joy = Jesus + Others + Yourself. This order and priority can make joy a more permanent fixture in your life. Joy is much more than having happy moments.

Temporary happiness does not last. It is based around what happens to you and not who lives within you.

Get Joy

The Bible tells us in Galatians 6 that Joy is a fruit of the spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that develops Joy within you. We also learn through the Word of God that Joy is something that has to continually be refilled. We see words like rejoice in the Bible. It is not a one-time happenstance. Joy has to be birthed again and again. If we go with the analogy of joy as a fruit, think of it as being reseeded over and over again. No matter what the circumstances are, no matter what life brings, Joy remains.

Sow Joy

Enabling the power of the Holy Spirit to produce the joy and you is just the beginning. Joy is something that must be sown in your life continually. Where are instances and situations in your life that you can Rejoice about? It should be a daily habit to have a grateful and thankful heart. This is the flower bed for joy. Understand that Joy needs the right environment to thrive. It must be intentionally planted and constantly watered in order to grow. When we view our lives through the light that God provides, we will see the growth of Joy. There is always a reason to be joyful. There is always opportunity to praise God in whatever situation we find ourselves.

Reap Joy

I'm sure that all of us can recall a time that we were especially thankful and grateful to God for doing something amazing. It is those very times that we need to recall during the more harder and stressful times of our lives.

We can reap Joy from previous situations by recalling the great testimonies of our past.

Rekindle your Joy by recollecting all of God's bountiful grace and mercy towards you throughout your life. You may not feel joyful in the situation that you are right now, but you can remember when things were far worse. If he did it before, he can do it again!


Be joyful in all circumstances. Rejoice always, and again I say, rejoice! 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Philippians 4:4