Good morning DPF, I believe the weekend went well. I trust God to perfect everything He has begun in you in Jesus name. Today we will continue with our Word Series, I hope it’s been a blessing to you. The topic we will consider today is Rejoice In The Word. I know some folks would wonder the importance of such a topic and its relevance to our daily lives of victory in Christ. I personally think this teaching is a very vital link between where we are and where we ought to be in the scheme of things. To rejoice means to activate a divine emotion called JOY. That joy is such an important dimension of a believer’s walk with God, that the Word of God says without it, we’d simply be starved in our Faith life. What do I mean?
Isaiah 12:3(kjv) Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
Here, the Bible is saying that it is with Joy that we can draw on every resource in salvation. Many people despise the power of Joy. Joy is actually more than an emotion, it’s a powerful weapon of spiritual warfare, it resides in the believer by the Holy Ghost according to Romans 14:17. Its expressions however could be captured by a shout, a dance, laughter, a jump, a run, a spin. It most often than not seems to an onlooker as a waste of energy, but in the spirit, it’s a divine strategy and weapon of mass destruction. The children of Israel wanted to conquer a city called Jericho, which had mighty walls, and in those days, the height and breadth of your walls was a representation of the security of your state. But God told the Israelites to just move around the walls like zombies… I’m sure the watchmen of the city must have seen them and alerted the king about their foolish display around the walls of the city, but the king must have despised them and laughed them to scorn because even the best artillery of war could not bring down that wall, talk less of an eccentric display of lunacy by a bunch of people.
Joshua 6:20(kjv) So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.
But that display gave them their victory over an impossible enemy. It was said that 7 chariots could run side by side on the walls of Jericho, and a chariots consists of 2 horses and a cart, which means 14 horses could run side by side on the walls of Jericho. The entire house of Rehab was built on the wall, just to give you an idea of how massive that wall was. What produced that victory was an expression of Joy based on God’s Word. As believers we must learn to rejoice at the Word of God. When you rejoice, you’re simply saying you already believe and are going to act as though you have the victory you seek. No matter how impossible that victory seems, Joy can deliver it into your hands. Joy can overcome cancer, barrenness, depression, sickness, poverty and all sort of life issues. To rejoice is an active word, there’s nothing passive about rejoicing. The new testament is so full of instructions about rejoicing, because in the new creation, we simply thank God for what He has done, we don’t try to make Him do anything. He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings already, we only believe by faith, thank Him and rejoice in the spirit, even if it doesn’t yet appear.
Psalms 119:162(kjv) I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil. 19:8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
David said his response to the Word can be compared to his response after a major victory in battle, because only after winning a battle do you see spoils. He rejoices at the Word with such enthusiasm and excitement, because Victory is always tied to Joy. Balaam said to Balak that the shout of a king is amongst them (Israelites) and therefore they can’t be cursed, they just can’t lose. David’s response to the Word was that of rejoicing but how do we receive the Word today? Do we sleep when the Word is being preached, get bored, or simply can’t seem to concentrate? The way you received the Word is key and would ultimately influence the way the Word will work for you. When God gives you a Word, rejoice in that Word, dance, clap and stomp your feet. When you rejoice, like my pastor would say, you remind the devil who the loser is. When it comes to joy, it’s all about victory. You can’t beat a joyful believer, the joy of the Lord is His strength, Neh 8:10b. Don’t wait till you have that desired reality, rejoice into that reality. Joy is so powerful.
Romans 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
We knew that Abraham staggered not, simply because before he got his promise fulfilled, he already started giving glory to God and rejoicing. I don’t see how you can give glory to God without joy. While you’re believing God, can turn on the joy button and give the Lord some good praise. Don’t be too decent to shout, dance, and jump. Jesus jumped and leaped for joy in Luke 10:21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said,… Which meant that Jesus jumped, spinned and ran for joy. It’s time to stop whining, complaining and sulking, it’s time to get excited and rejoice because God has already done what you seek, you just need to rejoice to see it… And don’t wait until you are asking God for something before you rejoice, make rejoicing a daily lifestyle. It’s our perpetual spiritual countenance. Glory to God.
1 Thess 5:16 Rejoice evermore.