But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. (Psalm 5:11)
“[This psalm] is a prayer of faith, sent up from a heart in which the discernment of God as the shield and rewarder of them that seek Him, is found in union with a very deep sense of the prevailing evil and ungodliness which daily present themselves to the contemplation of the faithful. Vexing of soul because of the abundance of iniquity is thus a leading feature in its general expression… Hence patience is wrought in tribulation. Joy abounds in the sure hope of a deliverance, which is deferred only by the councils of unerring love.” (J. V. Mcgee)
How did David respond to the circumstances he was facing? Simply: he found the joy of the Lord in all his circumstances.
Notice the meanings of the rejoice words in this verse.
- Rejoice – this word means to make glad. It emphasized a rejoicing of the whole being.
- Shout for joy – this word means to give a ringing cry in joy, exultation, or praise. This is joy of Israel at God’s saving acts. At times the word is used in context with music, to sing because of God’s saving acts. Also, this is the first of 70 references to singing in the Psalms.
- Be joyful – this word means to exult, to be jubilant. It emphasizes an emotional response which is occasioned by the Lord
Now, these aren’t passive verbs, but words full of action, activity, and emotion. The focus is in having a deep-seated contentment and confidence in our God no matter what is going on around us. This reminds me of
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (James 1:2)
The thought here is this: there is no situation in life in which we cannot find the joy of the Lord, whether it is disease, death, persecution, loneliness, unfairness, or financial reversal.
In the next few devotionals, we will explore Psalm 5.11. We will look at three reasons why we can find the joy of the Lord in all circumstances.
– Pastor Stevens