I Can't Help It Series

I Can't Help It

By Charles C Jones

Psalm 126:3

The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad Psalm 126:3

Some People Ask Why Are You So Full Of Joy?

Why Are We So Joyful?

That''s a mystery to those outside of our faith. Whether we enjoy the best of health or whether we are lying in a sick bed, the Christian has a right to always be joyful.

Gladness however, appears to come from the outside. It is a cousin of joy but is usually associated with a condition or circumstance whose outcome is favorable. If a Christian is beset by a misfortune he may rejoice despite his misfortune but he may not be glad about it.

A plane crashes or car wrecks and loved ones are injured, a Christian will remain joyful in the Lord, but won''t be glad about it. Gladness seems to depend on a circumstance that is positive, while joy is independent of any circumstance.

During a time of praise and thanksgiving, there is both joy and gladness. Those who know the Lord rejoice in his goodness and at the same time are glad for the great blessings he has demonstrated.

As Christians, we face each new day with a spirit of joyfulness. We know that whatever happens, our God is able to deliver us. That makes us glad. Today, face the unknown with a spirit of gladness. God will make you glad.

David had sufficient reason to be glad.

His life was filled with outward signs of God''s blessing hand. From his rise to reign as king from a mere shepherd boy to his powerful command of the armies of Israel, David had plenty to be glad about. David pointed out in this text that the source of his gladness is the goodness of the Lord.

This is the source of his great expressions of gladness which ranged from dancing in the street when he brought home the Ark of the Covenant or writing songs of praise. Gladness was a way of life with David. In this psalm David expresses gladness that God returned Israel from its captivity and brought laughter and joy to its lips instead of sorrow. Even the enemies of the nation, described as the heathen took note of how God blessed them.

David lifted God in praise for his blessings and urged the nation to praise God because his actions toward them made him glad. David wrote most of the Psalms. In his praise of God he used three words to express the word glad. Each of his definitions give a clue as to nature of gladness and how it is expressed and understood.

Steps To Staying Joyful - A Can't Help It Praise!

Our Blessings Can Overwhelm Us

There are times when we are overwhelmed at the goodness and mercy of the Lord. This often happens when we achieve a long sought after goal or receive a blessing that we desired but felt unworthy to receive.

When David succeeded in the getting the Ark of the Covenant returned to Israel, he was so excited and happy that he stripped his clothes to his loin cloth and danced naked in the streets, leaping and jumping and shouting with joy.

That''s the way we feel when God has really blessed us. We have to shout.

When the Lord blesses us financially in a way that we did not expect, it''s shouting time!

When a wayward son or daughter starts showing signs of hope, it''s shouting time!

When a unsaved family member finds the Lord, it''s shouting time.

As Jesus came into Jerusalem, his disciples wanted to hush up the crowd but Jesus said, if these hold their peace the rocks would cry out! -Church.... It''s shouting time.

We Celebrate Our Victories

When we reflect on the roads that each of us have traveled yes we see our difficulties and frustrations but we also see our victories, thousands of them, over the frustrations that life has given us. Through it all, it has been God who has helped us withstand all of these troubles.

Our journey is one that has been filled with struggle and difficulty. Whether it has been our ethnic struggle as a people of color or as individuals striving to overcome our personal fights with life threatening situations, we have reason to celebrate because God has helped us to survive our difficulty and even to escape death itself.

When our world was turned upside down by tragic events God''s grace kept us from becoming cynical and disillusioned with life.

When we witnessed how evil some people can be, His love helped us to keep loving others despite the fact that there are some who are hard to love.

When failure was all around us, God''s constant encouragement pushed us to "run and see what the end would be."