Yesterday we were looking at Habakkuks’ declaration of how he was going to ‘be joyful in God’ inspite of impending disaster Habakkuk 3:16. The result of his decision to ‘rejoice in the Lord’ is also amazing. After his declaration, about rejoicing, he says ‘The sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go on the heights’ verse 19. The Amplified Bible expands that last statement as meaning, ‘He makes me walk, and not stand still in terror, to make spiritual progress upon my high places, (of trouble, suffering, or responsibility).
His decision to ‘rejoice in the Lord’ brings him strength, not just to keep going, but to make progress in all the difficulties. Joy and rejoicing strengthen us, not just in the good times but also in the very bad times.
It’s interesting that neuroscience now helps us in our understanding of the chemical reactions in our brain. Research can now show us that joy, laughter, singing and even just thinking positively all help to ‘lift our mood’. Incidentally, this also agrees with the Bible that ‘A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones’ Proverbs 17:22, written some thousands of years ago.
We even talk about these things in physical terms. We describe feeling ‘weighed down’ by a worry, and, when it is dealt with, it is as if the ‘heaviness’ or the ‘burden’ is lifted. People talk about ‘jumping for joy’. Even in the natural world joy is a recognised energizer.
Paul knew the power of rejoicing, and encouraged the Christians he was writing to, with the words ‘Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: rejoice’ Philippians 4:4. {An easy text to remember!!}. And this, from a man who was in prison, who had suffered greatly for his faith, and was expecting to be martyred.
Peter also, writing to Christians who were being persecuted for their faith, encourages them to ‘rejoice in their faith’ even though ‘now for a little while you may have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials’ 1 Peter 1:3-8. He talks about the joy that is theirs’ because of their faith, and their ‘inheritance that can never perish or fade-kept in heaven for them’. Here again, ‘joy’ and ‘rejoicing’ in the Lord was going to give them the strength to get through a time of suffering.
We can thank God for all that He has done for us in saving us from our past and our sins, and we can thank Him for all that He has won for us; our future with Him in heaven. This thanksgiving is the key to rejoicing ‘in the Lord’ and thus finding the strength to walk with Him, even in a time of trial.
This strength will come to our bodies, to our hearts and minds, and deep within, supernaturally, to our spirits. David expresses this in Psalm 16:7-9. After talking of God being his refuge, he ends the psalm with ‘because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, my glory rejoices; my flesh also will dwell securely’. RSV.
