Deuteronomy 28: 63 and 30:9 refer to The LORD God rejoicing over us when we do what? When we are obedient to His Word. Obeying God makes God happy.
Jeremiah 32:40-41 God makes an everlasting covenant with His people, that He will not turn away from us, but do us good. He puts His fear in our hearts, not fear as the enemy wants us to have, but the fear of The LORD, a deep reverence and worshipful spirit, that will cause us to draw nearer to Him and not leave Him. The LORD rejoices over us to do us good. He plants us in the land He has prepared for us.
Zephaniah 3:17 "The LORD thy God in the midst of thees is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing." In the day that The LORD restores to His people that which their enemy had taken away from them, He will rejoice over us with singing, for we have been permanently delivered from evil.
The first 'joy' in this verse is a noun and means gladness and mirth. But the second 'joy' is a verb and it means to move excitedly around. Joy is a verb. And our God JOYS over us. Doesn't that just tickle your heart?
And, isn't that what Jesus did when He died on the cross and rose from the dead? Permanently delivered from judgment and evil. But we must believe that He is and that His Word is true. We must live a life of obedience to God's Word. A delivered life. A covenanted life. A life of promise. A life that glorifies God pleases God.
John 15:10-11 "If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love. These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." In addition to the commandments which God gives us in The Old Testament, now Jesus gives us additional commandments. The Word of God continues to speak to us. There is always something new to be learned.
What new commandments does Jesus give to them who hear His Word?
- John 15:12 "This is My commandment, That you love one another, as I have loved you."
- Matthew 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
- Matthew 5:44 "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which spitefully use you, and persecute you."
- Matthew 6:3-4 When giving donations, tell no one; for God knows and that's enough
- Matthew 6:5-15 When giving ourselves to God in earnest prayer, pray these prayers behind closed doors, that we may commune with God and Him alone.
- Matthew 6:16-18 Fast according to God's Word, not man's
- Matthew 6:20-21 Lay our treasures up in heaven, not on earth (Jesus spoke of minimalism way before it became popular)
- Matthew 6:33 Seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness.
And many, many more such verses are to be found in God's Word. We must sincerely and wholeheartedly seek Him out in His Word. Psalms says Taste and See that The LORD is good. Have you ever just licked the surface of your food and satisfied your hunger in that way? Not hardly. Just as we must put our food into our mouths and chew it up that we may swallow without choking, and allow the meal to digest in our stomachs, so, too, must we partake of The Word of God with the same diligence with which we place knife and fork in our hands to parcel up our meats.
Yes, it is possible to read our Bible in one year. As well, it is possible to read it in its entirety in one month. I find myself drawn to various passages throughout my days and give each several readings and studyings until my soul is satisfied that I have drawn what was necessary for me from the well of God's Word at each time. That's how I get a variety of subjects to speak on in these Bible study/devotions.
My heart is content. And God joys over me. My cup runneth over.
