- Rejoicing
Psalm 19.8
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart:
The Word of God is right, and that is good, but that is not all; it also rejoices the heart. The promise is that the Word will bring joy to the heart. The joy of the Lord will be your strength. The deep, inner, abiding joy of God shall dwell deep within the heart so solid that no fear, no worry, no threat, no sadness, no danger, and no darkness can touch the joy of the heart worked deep into it by the Word of God. Great joy results from understanding the Word of God: Nehemiah 8:12: “And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.” It is like the joy of a Christmas holiday when we understand the words of God to us. “I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.” (Psalm 119:14).
The statutes of the Lord are right, and the guarantee is that when they are kept joy comes into the life because rightness and uprightness belongs to the Lord. The joy of life and the joy of living with God cannot be taken away. When the laws of God are followed joy follows, because joy is the natural product of right living and because there is joy and satisfaction in knowing that we have done the right thing. Even doing the wrong thing and being convicted of the error by the Word of God is a blessing for it brings one to repentance and restoration to favor by faith in Christ. This rejoices the heart. The joy of doing the right thing because God says it is right is it’s own reward, just in the action of doing it, but the added blessing and promise is that it rejoices the heart; it plants and grows up joy so strongly and solidly that such abiding joy will carry us over and through many rough patches of life.
Let the Word of Christ dwell in your hearts by faith so richly that you not only hear and believe and do but also rejoice.