“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 KJV
“But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy.” Psalm 5: NLT
Please look carefully at the scriptures above. There’s something missing. Can you see it? Okay, you can’t see it, can you? Please look again. Go slowly. Can you find it? Of course not! It’s not there! I picked the same verse from two different translations, translations considered very different than one another. They both say the same thing, don’t they? And they’re both missing the same thing!
Okay, now you’re wondering. I won’t keep you in suspense any longer, I promise. The psalmist is saying those who place their faith in the Lord as their trust, as their refuge, should be filled with rejoicing – not just inside their hearts, but aloud! Loudly even! In song! In shouting!
What’s missing? The psalmist says NOTHING about rejoicing ONLY when life is good, when things are going well, when God’s answering our prayers, when we feel good, when our circumstances are great. In fact, the KJV version says we should shout for joy EVER. That means ALWAYS! The NLT version says we should “sing joyful praises” how often? FOREVER!
What’s missing? There are NO CONDITIONS on experiencing joy for those who turn from their sins, believe in Christ as Lord, and dedicate their lives to God and His ways! When we believe in Christ, when we follow Christ, when we are promised a forever relationship with God through Christ, we can experience joy in Christ NO MATTER WHAT. NO MATTER OUR CIRCUMSTANCES!
For those of us who have lived roller-coaster lives of feeling joy and feeling awful depending on our current circumstances, this is cause for rejoicing, isn’t it? In my experience, it takes practice to get there. Why? Because my joy comes when I focus on Jesus and God’s love and promises. Turn to the Lord! Oh, rejoice my friends! Sing to the Lord! Shout to the Lord! Proclaim to the world Jesus is Lord! What a cause for celebration! Oh, rejoice forever!