The Art of Rejoicing
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones;
praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the Lord with the lyre;
make music to him with a ten-stringed harp.
Sing a new song to him;
play skillfully on the strings, with a joyful shout.
(Psalm 33:1-3, CSB)
Here are some practical tools for you as you practice the “art” of rejoicing. Because it is an art and not a science, you will need to try some things and see what works for you. What is imperative is that we rejoice in the Lord! May the joy of Jesus be yours as you seek to live out rejoicing!
Songs: these have been helpful to me- maybe they will help you too:
He Never Failed Me Yet (male lead vocal)
He Never Failed Me Yet (female lead vocal)
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
Rejoice in Creation.
Go on a walk (or drive) this week. Take time to notice the blossoming trees, the blooming flowers, life returning to the earth as spring takes hold. Let your heart rejoice in the Creator’s work!
Wake up one morning before dawn. Find an east facing vantage point (window or outdoors) and watch as God paints the sky with a sunrise. Rejoice in God bringing light and life into your world! (if morning isn’t your thing you can also do this with a sunset, but you will need to look west ;-) )
Write a song (or at least some lyrics).
Not all of us are JR Frey in our poetic ability. Still, the call of Psalm 33 is to ‘sing a new song.’ So, here’s the challenge: compose some lyrics about who God is and what He’s done that gives you joy. It doesn’t have to be melodic or rhyme but, it should draw your heart upward in glad adoration.
Bonus: if you are musical, here is your chance to express your rejoicing in and through your musical abilities. It doesn’t have to be a master work you are composing, a simple song of joy will do!
To Ponder. “Joy is the serious business of Heaven.” is a quote from C.S. Lewis. It is in a letter he wrote and has a much larger context which is quite deep and a whole other avenue to get at joy. If Lewis is your speed, here is a good portion of the letter from which that quote comes: Letters to Malcolm
I hope to hear stories of your adventures in the art of rejoicing!