REASONS FOR REJOICING
What makes you happy? What makes the average person rejoice? A check in the mail? Hitting the jackpot in the Publisher's Clearing House? Getting the house all cleaned up before a big party? Your football team winning the Superbowl? The most righteous reason for a Christian rejoicing; yea, the object of your rejoicing is to be in the Lord - (Ps. 33:1) - "Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright." While we get happy for many reasons, the best reason is this one! The book of Psalms has other reasons, too.
Rejoice because of His gift of salvation - (Ps. 13:5) - "But I have trusted in Thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation." Indeed, if Christ had not come, even worse, if He was not to come, hell would be so full of souls, without His perfect sacrifice! So praise Him and rejoice indeed for this account, that Jesus indeed came, and we have His perfect sacrifice, that should we believe on Him, we shall have everlasting life!
Rejoice in His mercy - (Ps. 31:7) - "I will rejoice and be glad in Thy mercy: for Thou hast considered my trouble; Thou hast known my soul in adversities..." Just as it says in John 10:27, Jesus knows His sheep, and He has mercy in abundance for us, a mercy which is from everlasting to everlasting, and in this rejoice greatly, for we are redeemed in the mercy of His blood sacrifice for our sins!
Rejoice in His protection - (Ps. 63:7) - "Because Thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice." - Ps. 61:4 echoes this trust in His protection. Isa. 59:1 declares that God's hand is not shortened that it cannot save, as evidenced in Exod. 14:1-31, wherein is written how He dried up the Red sea for Moses and His people to cross, and thereafter allowed the water to return and drown all Pharaoh's army as they were in hot pursuit! Surely they rejoiced in His protection, and we, too, should rejoice, as we enjoy His protection throughout our lives.
Rejoice in the expectation He will revive us - (Ps. 85:6) - "Wilt Thou not revive us again: that Thy people may rejoice in Thee?" As Habakkuk looked for the same in Hab. 3:2, when we have a great trouble or a multitude of trials and/or tribulations upon us, trust and rejoice in Him who can bring us through all our troubles, and as an example, let us look at Paul. He told of all his trials in 2 Cor. 11:23-33, and Paul was happy to continue in his faith and ministry, knowing the Lord would revive him again, as He did in Acts 14:19-20, left for dead outside the city after a stoning, yet, he got up and the next day went to Derbe with Barnabas! So rejoice in your faith and trust that He will revive you from everything you suffer!
Lastly, Rejoice in His Word and statutes - (Ps. 19:7-9) - "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether." Rejoice in His will, His truth, His commandments, and judgments. His will is for our good, all of us. His truth is a perfect guide for us to live our daily lives, and will never lead us to disaster. (His commandments in practice keep us pleasant in His sight, and His judgments give Him glory and honor in the sight of all His sheep.) Rejoice in all these gifts from God, for just as it is written in Ps. 119:105, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."
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