I Will Rejoice In The Lord

I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be glad because he rescues me. Psalm 35:9

In the Psalms, David loved to rejoice and offer praises to the Lord. He often requested that God defeat his enemies, all while David praised Him. We see that very thing in Psalm 35.

Sometimes, we have days when nothing goes our way and everything goes against us. When that happens, do you get caught up in your woes, or do you rejoice in the Lord?

God had a call on David’s life, but Saul, king of Israel at that time, sought to kill him. David found himself in a very precarious predicament. He didn’t want to touch God’s anointed one.

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The New Testament tells us to treat our enemies differently than the Old Testament did. Even at that, how do you deal with someone who shouldn’t be your enemy or opposes you?

David didn’t have a problem fighting against his enemies. In this case, though, he considered Saul his king. Yet, Saul marched his army in opposition to David. So, he called on God for His help.

O Lord, oppose those who oppose me. Fight those who fight against me. Put on your armor, and take up your shield. Prepare for battle, and come to my aid. Lift up your spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Psalm 35:1-3

Weapons of Our Warfare

The physical weapons David asked the Lord to use the Lord now supplies us for our spiritual battles. He tells us to equip ourselves with the whole armor of God.

Put on every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil.
Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.
For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News.
Hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.
Put on salvation as your helmet.
Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:13-17

David could rejoice because he knew the Lord would arm Himself to deal with his oppressors. We, too, can rejoice in the Lord because He equips us to stand up against our enemy.

David could rely on one thing for certain when God stood between him and those coming against him. David confidently said, Let me hear you say, “I will give you victory!”

As the Lord fights our battles for us, we can stand firm in the presence of our enemy and rejoice! David’s entire being, beginning with his bones, rejoiced as he praised God.

With every bone in my body I will praise him: “Lord, who can compare with you? Who else rescues the helpless from the strong? Who else protects the helpless and poor from those who rob them?” Psalm 35:10

When Should We Rejoice in the Lord?

We live in a day and time when people have more interest in themselves than anything else. They might come against us with lies and deception if we get in their way. David dealt with that.

Malicious witnesses testify against me. They accuse me of crimes I know nothing about. They repay me evil for good. I am sick with despair. Psalm 35:11-12

I’m not sure if you realize this, but only one line of defense exists against a lie. It comes by standing on the truth. David didn’t rejoice in their accusations. He rejoiced in the Lord.

When people maliciously accuse us, let’s refrain from defending ourselves and let God defend us. The truth has a better way of rising to the top when we rejoice in the Lord and praise Him.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:4-6

The enemy of our soul makes it his business to suck the joy right out of us. We can’t let him do that because God has given us the tools to keep it. He also encourages us to stay on track.

We seldom consider rejoicing when trials come because we often let them back us into a corner. The Apostle Paul, however, says rejoice because of the privilege our faith in the Lord gives us.

Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. Romans 5:2

Rejoice, The Lord is in Control

How often have you expected God to step in and straighten things out when troubles come your way? He does help us, but usually, it’s not the way we thought He would.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. Romans 5:3-5

Isn’t it something how we humans can turn things around and do them backward? When we run into problems, we tend to start with disappointment instead of ending with no disappointment.

Many Christians view themselves as individuals alone, like being stranded on their own desert island. They think they exist independently from other Christians and even from God at times.

Paul told us that God dearly loves us and has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Plus, he said that we, all of us together, make up the body of Christ.

In other words, the church does not function with lone rangers. Therefore, we need not face trials and problems alone. David said we can rejoice in the Lord. Paul said the following.

So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. Romans 5:11

Lord, when troubles come our way, help us to rejoice in you first. All too often, we initially take matters into our own hands.