I will choose joy

“My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. Because You have been my help, therefore in the shadow of Your wings, I will rejoice.” Psalm 63:5-7 NKJV.

There are opinions and commentaries about David and his “obsession” with the Lord his God. I’m not fond of that word because it carries such negative connotations. One definition offered is having or showing excessive or compulsive concern with something. The thesaurus tells us that preoccupied, possessed, fanatical, haunted, and taken up are synonyms for the word. I do not believe David was obsessed. The Scripture above portrays his sheer joy in the Lord; his night-time prayers were his Spirit praising God, communicating with Him. Keeping the Lord the focus of your attention is not a compulsion. Hear David tell of God’s protection and care “in the shadow of Your wings.” Look at David’s joy in the Lord!

I often feel God’s Spirit so passionately that I break down in tears. When I read, I lose myself in the words and pages. My mind visualizes the particular excerpt or story I am reading. So it is when I read the Bible; if it is heart-rendering, I cry. How can one not shed tears when reading the Scripture?

“Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.” Psalm 47:1 NIV.

Feel the vitality portrayed in this short verse; the joyful enthusiasm, the emotion of great happiness – such a feeling of excitement! “Clap your hands, all you nations.” We can declare our joy and gladness by clapping our hands to express happiness and joy. Just reading this excites me, and I want to clap my hands for joy in the Lord!

“Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.” Isaiah 12:6 NKJV.

Gill’s Exposition on the Entire Bible explains this verse like this. “By “the Holy One of Israel” is meant Christ, the Redeemer and Husband of this church. Because, as God, he is the God of Israel, the spiritual Israel, and as such is holy, even glorious in holiness. And, as man, sprung from Israel, literal Israel, and as such is holy in his nature, acts, and offices.” Gill says, “[He]is the sanctifier of the whole Israel of God, from whom they receive all their holiness. He is “in the midst” of his church, in the midst of Zion, and the inhabitants of it, to whom he has promised his presence and grants it, and which causes such joy and gladness as nothing else can give. And here he is “great” and shows himself to be so. The great God and our Saviour; a Saviour, and a great one; a great King over the holy hill of Zion; and a great High Priest over the house of God; wherefore greatness should be ascribed unto him, and praise be given him.”

Shout aloud and sing for joy! We don’t do that enough; sometimes, I believe we even suppress our joy and thanksgiving. The old Indian Proverb may say it best: “The tragedy of life is not death, but what we let die inside of us while we live.” Maybe we have lost our spontaneity, exhibiting too much constraint. If I am honest, I must say that describes me at times. Remember that old hymn, “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart, down in my heart. I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart; down in my

heart to stay.”? We should be without constraint of our natural feelings toward and about our Savior. Feel the joy, show the joy, and share the joy!

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 14:17 NIV. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 NIV.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22 NIV.

Our wrong desires are evil and destructive. They are self-centered and oppressive. If we practice living by the fruit of the Spirit, we will be productive, self-giving, uplifting, and nurturing. The will of the Holy Spirit will override our sinful desires only if God is in control. As we enter the new year, let it be with a solid resolve to serve the Lord.