Zephaniah 3:17; Genesis 1:27; Isaiah 62:5; Psalms 103:8-10;
Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.
Some people have a different perspective about God. They think that God is not a "Good-to-go" person.
Illustration: I had asked a person to share a good news with another person. But when it was time that the news was about to be shared, the person was poisoned in his mind that there's some strategy out there to trap him and he refused to even give a ear in order to hear what the news was about. Alas! isn't it like this with Us and God. God wants us to hear the plans we have for Him but we simply are not able to trust Him enough.
CAN GOD REJOICE OVER US? CAN HE SING OVER US?
All of us are accustomed to thinking that we ought to offer to God many services such Singing, Praising, Dancing, Serving, Ministry and so on. Have you ever thought of the opposite to come true?????
Let's say, God is singing over us, rejoicing over us, clapping hands and patting us, thumping and jumping over us, waving a victory sign over us, yelling a "Yeee--Hooo!!" over us. Can you imagine this would be true?
Yes! my friend it is! Let us understand God's Nature:
* God can laugh (Psalms 2:4; Psalms 37:13; Prov 1:26; Psalms 16:11)
* God can sing & rejoice (Zeph 3:17; Isa 62:5)
* God can get sad & grieved (Gen 6:6; Eph 4:30)
* God can get angry (Deu 9:8; Exo 32:10-11; Isa 13:9; Matt 21:12-13)
* God can cry and weep (Joh 11:35; Jer 9:10; Mic 1:8; Luk 7:13)
Other emotions of God:
* God can feel betrayed
* God can feel hurt and grieved
* God can keep quiet and calm
* God can repent
* God can hear
* God can get mad
* God can discipline
* God can create
* God can destroy
* God can talk
* God can respond to our invitation
* God can reject our invitation
In understanding the Nature of God, one vital truth must be understood - "God is no different from Man in his Emotions and Nature only for one exception - God knows no evil." The principle to understand here is this - We are made in the Image of God. (Genesis 1:27)
CAN WE MAKE GOD TO REJOICE, CELEBRATE, SING FOR JOY???
Yes! we can. God can rejoice in us, he takes delight in us when we choose to do the right things:
Here are 7 different things that can cause God to Rejoice over us:
01. When a Sinner comes to Repentance, the LORD rejoices over him
Luke 15:7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.
10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
The Parable of the Prodigal son in Luke 15th chapter is also an example of the Father rejoicing over his son who returned home realizing his sin.
Luke 15:20 "And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.
02. When A Person has received Salvation from Sin and Darkness, the LORD rejoices over us
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
Psalms 51:12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart --- These, O God, You will not despise.
There is a divine Joy that God shares with us when we are 'Saved' or 'Born-Again' in the Kingdom of God. I remember the time 16 years back, in the year 2000 when I repented from my sinful life, accepted Jesus Christ truly as my Lord and Savior and took Baptism on Dec 24th, 2000. It was such a Joyful moment, I could literally see Heaven in my heart and feel Joy swelling inside of me as a fountain. Oh! the blessedness of that day. Hallelujah!
03. The LORD is rejoices over us when we overcome Sin, Temptation and Satan
Job 1:8 Then the L ORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?"
James 1:12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
Revelations 2:26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations ---
27 ' He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels' --- as I also have received from My Father;
28 and I will give him the morning star.
04. The LORD rejoices over us when we Surrender and Obey
1 Samuel 15:22 So Samuel said: " Has the L ORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD ? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.
The Bible compares humans to sheep for one reason - "Stubbornness". Man is stubborn in his innate nature. The neck of man looks very flexibe but inside of it is something stronger than steel that refuses to bend before God.
Saul had no idea of obedience and the delight that comes out of it. When we disobey God, we are rebelling against him but when we yield, surrender and obey there is great Joy in Him.
05. The LORD rejoices over us when we choose to follow Justice, Mercy and Humility
Micah 6:7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, Ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the L ORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?
When we are just in our relationships, in our business, in our day to day affairs and common life, God is Joyful because of us. Humility is also one great reason that gives Joy to God. God is humble and he also desires man to humble himself.
06. The LORD rejoices over us when we Honor him with our Resources
2 Corinthians 9:7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
Acts 20:35 I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "
Those who give to God feeling a burden should stop giving because it returns no good to them. However, the LORD LOVES those who give cheerfully. The Word Love is used here to illustrate how deeply God is affected in His heart over our giving. I pray every believer may change his mind over the thought of giving and think it to be a blessing to him and not that he is getting deprived of something by his giving. Amen!
07. The LORD rejoices in the Praises of His People.
Psalms 22:3 But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
“But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.” (Psalm 22:3)
2 Chronicles 20:21–22 says, “And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: ‘Praise the Lord, For His mercy endures forever.’ Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.”
John 4:23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
There is power in Praise. The moment we praise God with a heart of Worship, he moves in His Joy to conquer our enemies and deliver us from them. Hallelujah!
If you blessed by the Sermon, do send your comments to me at mjsumeet@hotmail.com. I will be delighted to hear from you. Blessings in Christ.
Pastor Sumeet MJ
