Joy as a Command

Tuesday, October 5, 2021

Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles, was the last, and in many ways, the greatest of Israel's celebrations. In Deuteronomy 16, God commands his people to celebrate it in this way: You will be altogether joyful. You want joy, and you hope to find it by getting something that will bring you joy - a new job, a new person, or a new circumstance - joy will happen to you. In the original Hebrew it does not say: get this so joy can happen to you. It says, You Will Rejoice. For the child of God, joy is a verb before it is a noun. It's not something you wait to happen to you. It's something you choose. Joy is a command. Therefore, a surrender. True joy does not happen without your consent. You obey it, or you don't. We are told to rejoice in the Lord always. God doesn't want you wasting your life trying to get things you hope will give you joy. You can get joy right now direct from the source. Surrender your conditions for joy, and rejoice wherever you are. Rejoice in the Lord now.rn

From Message #565 - The Last Joy