“I will extol Thee, my God, O King; and I will bless Thy name for ever and ever.” Psalm 145:1
Dear Ones:
What is the “normal” Christian life? The answer to that question is quite extensive because one has to deal with the great reality and truth of one’s union with Christ, and the manifestation of every facet of His life in our own, for HE is our life. However, if we were to look at the overriding characteristics, those truths and descriptions of the truth, with regard to what should be our everyday, predominant normal life, we would begin with the matter of praising God. Why, and from what resource and source does this praise begin and have its effect? It begins in the deep recesses, and profound nature of God. It begins with the matter of God’s JOY, that very integral part of Himself, that pervades His whole being. This is why the Apostle Paul declares to the Galatian believers: “…the fruit of the Spirit is Love, JOY, peace…” (5:22) It is true that love is at the top of this list of the fruit of the Spirit, and we would in no wise diminish the wonder and power of that love. However, our consideration has to do with the normalcy of rejoicing, finding and living our joy IN THE LORD. The reason for this, is that, like love, it is to pervade us, be a dominant characteristic of our living. It is the NORMAL way to live, or as the psalmist puts it, “…it is pleasant, and praise is fitting.” (Ps. 147:1)
When the Lord Jesus walked this earth, He spoke a great deal of the matter of joy. He spoke of HIS joy, a joy that when given to the disciples, no man could take away. He spoke of the fullness of joy, and His joy being fulfilled in the hearts and lives of His disciples. By His example, we learn that it was for the JOY that was set before Him, that He endured the cross. (Heb. 12:2) For the Lord Jesus, the Father was His joy. That joy was communicated to, and through Him, by the Holy Spirit who is the very source of joy. When we have the Holy Spirit, Christ dwelling in the heart, we have His joy. Indeed, we are one with Christ who IS our joy. What then is rejoicing, and praise?
Rejoicing in God is finding one’s delight, pleasure, and fulfillment in the worth and beauty of the object worshiped. We find this concept of beauty throughout Scripture, but especially in the Psalms. David speaks of beholding the beauty of the Lord (Ps. 27:4) Moses prayed: “…let the beauty of the Lord our God BE upon us.” (Ps. 90:17) There is perfection in that beauty, a holiness that is not soiled or flawed by sin. Even the glorified wounds of Christ in heaven, that He still bears, are beautiful in one sense, as they declare and proclaim in a perfect, holy manner, the love of God, and the price to redeem us all. Christ lived by, for, and in the perspective of the joy of His Father. The fullness of joy that He knew is that same joy that He would have us to know in its fullness. Rejoicing in the Lord, or in God, is the appropriation of that joy of Christ by the Spirit. It is revealed in the praise and worship of God. David declares to us that this is to be our daily experience. The Apostle Paul tells us that we are to “rejoice ALWAYS.” How can this be? For two reasons, the first being the worth, unchanging beauty, and glory of God. He is at every moment, every day, the same most desirable, and blessed, object of worship that creation could ever have. Secondly, God has provided in the Spirit of God, in Christ, all of the joy of God in its power, knowledge, and overcoming capacity. All men everywhere, and at all times, are thus enabled to delight themselves in Him. It is as the believer SETS the Lord before Him, deriving all from Him by faith, that His joy becomes our own.
Dear Father, Teach us the privilege and power of praising Thee. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Love, Dad