Rejoice ever more! (1 Thesalonians 5:16)
Back to "Listen to God's Lessons"
Serving God is supposed to be fun or "joyful!" I can't say more than what the scriptures proclaim time after time. So, here are only a few ...
Thou will shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (Psalm 16:11)
When you receive God's Holy Spirit and His presence washes over you, the feeling of joy is so powerful that it's hard to explain; there is no earthly experience to compare it to. When we enter His kingdom, we will experience His joy forever.
But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name (Yeshua) be joyful in thee. For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield. (Psalm 5:11, 12)
As David points out in the previous scripture, God gives us so much. Let us rejoice in Him!
And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation. (Psalm 35:9)
Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious. (Psalm 66:1,2)
Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. (Psalm 81:1)
O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto thim with psalms. (Psalm 95:1,2)
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. (Psalm 98:4)
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing ... Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him and bless his name. (Psalm 100:1-2, 4)
Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. (Psalm 149:2)
Let they priests be clothed with righteousness; and let they saints shout for joy. ... I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy. (Psalm 132:9, 16)
Even when things are going bad, what does the Lord say to do -- rejoice!
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice! and be exceeding glad! for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you! (Matthew 5:11-12)
The Lord knows how much it hurts when people turn against you. His own brethren turned against him and crucified him.
He came unto his own, and his own received him not. (John 1:11)
So don't be surprised if even your brethren in the Lord turn against you if you follow the Lord with a single heart. There's not one prophet that didn't experience the same thing. But, keep your eyes on the Lord and love Him and ... rejoice!
Notice all the scriptures that tell us to make a joyful noise. One of the most joyful noises that is known around the world is laughter. I dare say there is nothing wrong with gathering with the Church and laughing before our God. It is a joyful noise! I pray for God's peace and joy in the Holy Spirit throughout the Body of Christ! It is the will of God that we serve Him with joyfulness and gladness of heart! What a great God, huh?