How to Live Rejoicing Everyday
Psalm 118:24
In the hymn “O Happy Day” there is a line that says this. It says, “Happy day, happy day, when Jesus washed my sins away! He taught me how to watch and pray, and live rejoicing every day.”
It’s the last part where it says “He taught me how to …. live rejoicing every day.” I want to use that as the title of our study today.
How to Live Rejoicing Everyday
The scriptural text for our study is Psalm 118:24 which says…. "This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."
“This is the day.” What day is this referring to? The day is today. What are we to do today? We are to rejoice and be glad.
2 things about this: 1. the Bible tells us we are to live rejoicing every day &2. the Bible teaches us how to live rejoicing every day.
First, before we look at what the Bible says on how to live rejoicing every day……let’s define what the word rejoice means.
To rejoice means to be glad, joyful, or cheerful.
The Bible says we are to rejoice, be glad, joyful, cheerful,
……how often? This day.
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The Bible has a lot to say about rejoicing.
Gabriel told Mary to “Rejoice … the Lord is with you…” Luk 1:28
Matthew 2:10 says the wise men rejoiced when they saw the star.
Luke 10:21 says “Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth … for so it seemed good in Your sight."
Hannah, who was barren, when God answered her prayer and gave her a son said, "My heart rejoices in the LORD…." 1Sa 2:1
Psa 32:11 "Be glad in the LORD and rejoice … shout for joy…"
Psa 68:4 "Sing to God, sing praises to His name; … And rejoice before Him."
Isa 29:19 "…rejoice In the Holy One of Israel."
For those who are persecuted, they are to “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad...." Mat 5:11-12
The early apostles who were persecuted "…rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name." - Act 5:41
Rom 12:15 we are to "Rejoice with those who rejoice…”
Phl 1:18 Paul said, “Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice." In Phl 4:4 he said "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!" and in 1Th 5:16 he said "Rejoice always,"
How can we live rejoicing every day? How can we rejoice in the Lord always?
First of all We can live rejoicing everyday when we rejoice in our Savior who is always near to comfort and cheer.
The hymn writer wrote: “Just when I need Him, Jesus is near, Just when I falter, just when I fear; Ready to help me, ready to cheer... “ because of this we are to rejoice in our savior everyday.
Psa 33:1 "Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful."
What does this say? It says we are to Rejoice in the LORD! Who is the Lord? The Lord Jesus Christ.
Look again at what this verse says. It says it is a beautiful thing when the righteous rejoice in the Lord. When we rejoice in him, our Savior looks down and says “that’s beautiful, that’s nice. My righteous ones are rejoicing in me. I love it. That’s beautiful.”
Have you ever thought about the fact that what we are doing now is the most beautiful thing in heaven and earth. What are we doing? Rejoicing and praising our Savior. It's a beautiful thing. You think of all the beautiful things in life.
You think of all the beautiful varieties of birds. The majestic eagle. The beautiful swan. Nothing is more beautiful to our Savior than our praise and rejoicing in Him. He says it is beautiful.
Think of the brightness and glory of the noon day sun, the beautiful sun rises and sun sets. Yet, this is not as beautiful as when the righteous are praising and rejoicing in him.
You think of the beautiful ocean, its deep blue reflection and its might waves. This is not as beautiful as when the righteous are rejoicing in him.
I was watching a show the other day. They were showing the snow cap mountains of Alaska. It's summer time and still half way up the mountain it is still covered with snow. It was a beautiful sight, but not as beautiful as when the righteous rejoice in the Lord.
I walked outside the other night around 9-930. I looked up, the sky was clear, there was a half moon, I could see the stars, the crickets were churping. It was beautiful, but it is not more beautiful when the saints are rejoicing in their Savior.
Psa 97:12 “Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name."
Every time you hear the Lord's name or it comes to your mind, rejoice.
There are some people when you think of them or you hear their name you smile; you smile just at the mention of their name. When we hear God’s name it should make us smile, it should make us cheerful. The name of Jesus should cause us to rejoice. The name of Jesus offends some people. To the righteous there is no name more beautiful than the name of Jesus. In this name there is hope. In this name there is healing. In this name there is salvation. In this name we will rejoice and be glad.
We can live rejoicing every day when we rejoice in our Savior. He is always near to comfort and cheer.
2. We can live rejoicing everyday when we rejoice in our Salvation knowing that it can never be taken away.
Psa 35:9 “…my soul shall be joyful in the LORD; It shall rejoice in His salvation." A good dose of salvation is good for the heart. Salvation brings joy, gladness and rejoicing to the heart.
When a person thinks of all the Lord has done in providing us salvation, it will cause you to rejoice and be joyful.
Think with me for a moment what all the Lord did to provide us salvation. He came from the glory of heaven to earth, from the earth to the cross, from the cross to the grave, from the grave back to heaven. To provide our salvation...He was despised and rejected...A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.... He was despised.... He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows;... stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; … the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and … afflicted, … He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, … He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment,… He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. … they made His grave with the wicked … He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. He made His soul an offering for sin … He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied… My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors... He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors." Isa. 53.
Did you hear that? He was forsaken so we can be forgiven. He was rejected so that we can be reconciled. He was strickened so we can be saved. Our response to all this? We will rejoice in our savior and in the salvation that he has provided for us.
Isa 61:10 Isaiah says, "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels."
Isa. says I will rejoice and be glad because for what God has done for me. Listen to what Isaiah said God did for him. Isaiah was decked out. He says God clothed him with the garments of salvation. He says God covered him with the robe of righteousness. He says he was as decked out as a groom in his finest wedding garbs and as a bride with all her best jewelry.
In our culture the best dressed folks are those at a wedding. Right? Do we get more dressed up than what we do for a wedding?
In biblical days a wedding was the highpoint of their culture as well. Folks dress up for a wedding.
Isaiah said when God clothed me with salvation I was as decked out as if I were going to a wedding. One day Isaiah is going to a wedding, right? The marriage of the Lamb, the Lord Jesus and his Bride, the church.
John tells us about it in Rev 19:7. He says, "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." What does he say? He says, let us be glad and rejoice and give him glory. Why? For the marriage of the Lamb has come.
He says the bride has made herself ready. How has the bride made herself ready? V 8, “And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints." Rev. 19
What garments does the bride have on? Fine linen, clean and bright. He says the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Isaiah calls them, “the garments of salvation and the robe of righteousness.” Same thing.
For those of us who have been clothed with “the garments of salvation and the robe of righteousness.” What are we to do? We are to "greatly rejoice in the LORD”
If you can’t think of anything in your life to be glad and rejoice about rejoice that God has clothed you with his garments of salvation and covered you with his robe of righteousness.
You can’t look any better than that. This is way far more better than any Polo Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, or anything sold by Saks Fifth Avenue.
We should as Isaiah who greatly rejoiced in the Lord and be joyful.
3. We can live rejoicing everyday when we rejoice in Scripture knowing that it will always point us the right way.
Psa 19:8 "The commandments of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart…” David says every time I get God's word out to read it it brings joy to my heart. It rejoices my heart because it is right. That is, it points us in the right direction in life.
Ps 119:14, “I rejoice in your word above much riches.” David says if it comes down to having God's word or great riches...give me God's word.
Along this same thought he says in Ps 19:10-11 “God's word is to be desired more than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. By your word Your servant is warned, And in obeying your word there is great reward.” Don't expect to be happy while living in sin. Sin produces death not joy. Living according to God's word produces joy. Jesus speaking of God's word said, “if you know these thing happy are you if you do them.”
Psa 119:111 "Your word is mine forever, it is to me the rejoicing of my heart." Jer 15:16 "Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart...." When it was time to go to church, Jeremiah rejoiced. He was glad when they said unto him let us go unto the house of the Lord. He got excited. Do you get excited when its time to hear God's word? It always points us in the right direction.
Let's review: *We can live rejoicing everyday when we 1. rejoice in our Savior who is always near to comfort and cheer. 2. *rejoice in our salvation knowing that it can never be taken away. 3. *rejoice in scripture knowing it will always point us the right way.
