To Rejoice Is Your Choice

More than a year ago I felt the need to understand more about what true worship of God really means. Since I work in our church library a few hours each week, I was in the perfect place to look for others' ideas on the same subject.

 As I was inputting data on the computer relating to the books in our Christian Living section, I found a book by Jack Taylor entitled, THE HALLELUJAH FACTOR. I have to say he’s almost as difficult to read as J.I. Packer which must speak to my low level of intelligence, but Dean and I are determined to get through the book together—me reading and he listening (and sometimes dozing).

Today’s chapter entitled “Pathways to Praise" was based on I Thessalonians 5:16-18. In the verse we are called to do three things:  be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances.  Here is what I gleaned from the first admonition:

God wants us, His people, to be joyful. Check out the scriptures—you’ll see that God, Himself, is joyful. Dr. Taylor lists all the verses just in the book of Psalms which speak of joy and the act of rejoicing (a page full). He even mentions Jeremiah, a prophet I would never connect with the word, joy.  Yet, despite his words of judgment from the Lord, there are at least four places in his book that he speaks of joy or rejoicing.

If I were to describe the apostle Paul in an unthinking way, I would say he was probably a bustling, officious, authoritarian type who did not bear fools gladly and I would never associate joy as a descriptive word for him. This is obviously a poor description because his character is revealed in his teaching letters to the various churches. In them are numerous mentions of joy and rejoicing (as well as concern for the welfare of his brothers and sisters in Christ).

Our Lord Jesus would seem to have little to be joyful about as he dealt with rejection over and over, knowing He was facing a horrible death on the cross. Yet his very birth was ushered in by angels singing of great joy and His mother, Mary composed a special song of joy about his coming. Luke 2:52 describes a youngster who must have been a joy to know. His Father certainly looked on Him with favor. And Hebrews 12:2 speaks of Jesus…”who for the joy set before Him endured the cross…”

So many Biblical examples of joy and rejoicing lead me to pay special attention to this admonition Paul gives us in I Thessalonians. It’s not surprising then to read Dr. Taylor’s statement that joy is necessary to praise. He’s not talking about fluffy emotions of happiness but genuine joy in Christ—knowing Him and knowing His love.

Bottom line:  As I prepare to praise God, I will make the choice to rejoice, always.