WHAT MAKES YOU GLAD ?
I was blest and challenged as I read Psalm 64:12 NKJV this morning.”The righteous (you and me) shall be glad in the Lord and trust in Him”. I asked the Lord to search my heart as I asked myself the question “what makes me glad”? Is it having money in my pocket and in my bank account that makes me happy ? Is it new clothes? Is it my ministry ? here king David not knowing fully the glorious Salvation we have in the Lord Jesus Christ, could say he was glad in the Lord.
There is no doubt there are things we need to do (continually) if we are to echo David’s words. Before we talk about that what does the Scriptures say about being glad and having the joy of the Lord in our hearts.Over 30 times the Psalmist says he is glad, because of the blessing and goodness of God. So much so he says:
Psalm 122:1, “I was glad when they said unto me, let us go unto the House of the Lord. The Psalmist is saying my gladness comes from “the God of the House” and I need to go (with my brothers & sisters) and express my gladness in Father’s House. Perhaps there are times when you are tempted to stay home from church, that is the time to say “I make an act of will, and I will go and release my gladness in the House. Not only in church corporately, but, as David says in Psalm 9:2 I will be glad and rejoice in You, I will sing praise to Your name O Most High. EXPRESSING OUR GLADNESS MUST BE A LIFESTYLE, privately and personally.
As New Covenant believers we have the awesome privilege of coming and living in His presence, and can say with David (Psalm 16:11) In Your presence is fullness of joy and Your right hand are pleasures for evermore.
We can and should get so excited at times that we cannot help but SHOUT FOR JOY because of the Lord’s blessing and goodness to us. There are so many references to shouting in the scriptures, if we shout for our football team, how much more we should to the Lord with a voice of triumph Amen ?
WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO SOMETIMES?
As the old song says, we need to “count our blessings”. Let us think about:
Where would we be today, but for the grace of God?
Think of the horrible pit we were in.
Think of the miry clay that was sucking us down to hell
Think about Jesus:
Who took the Father’s wrath upon Himself
He took all our sins and sicknesses past, present & future upon Himself
He shed His precious sinless blood for us
He conquered death and the grave
He rose again for our Justification (we were declared “not guilty)
he sent the Holy Spirit, as Comforter and Guide, and Sanctifier.
He has given us the gift of eternal life, earth is not our home, we are just passing through.
That is enough for us for us to be glad and joy in the Lord.
But,let us be honest the Christian life is not a picnic, bad things happen to good people, life is not a bed of roses. Can you relate to what Habakkuk said. and agree with him.
Habukkuk 3:17-19 Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, though the labour of the olive may fail, and the field yield no food. Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls. Yet, I will rejoice in the Lord, I WILL JOY IN THE GOD OF MY SALVATION. The Lord god is my strength, He will make my feeT like deer’s feet, and he will make me walk in my high hills.
This is what the Message Bible says
Though the cherry trees don’t blossom, and the strawberries don’t ripen, though the apples are worm eaten, and the wheat fields stunted, though the sheep pens are sheepless, and the cattle barns are empty, I’m sing joyful praise to God, I’m turning cartwheels of joys to my Saviour God. Counting on God’s rule to prevail, I take heart and gain strength, I run like a deer, I feel like I am king of the mountain. Wow, I like that.
Let me ask you again, what makes you glad ? We have a glorious Salvation, everything has been made available to us, let us take our eyes off our circumstances on look upon the Risen Saviour. As you begin to meditate on who you are and what you have in Christ, you will quickly begin to experience: THE JOY OF THE LORD WHICH IS OUR STRENGTH.
has this blog blessed and challenged you, let me know please ?
