"God has called us to live holy lives" (1 Thessalonians 4:7), and one way we do that is to find joy in obedience:
"I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches." ~ Psalm 119:14
What about the "hard" commands like forgiving offenses, returning good for evil, denying ourselves, or standing up for God's values in a world that mocks them?
What about the unpopular commands against lifestyles that culture approves?
It's interesting how often the Bible links joy with obedience to difficult commands.
It's interesting how often the Bible links joy with obedience to difficult commands.
✤ Be glad when insulted for Christ (Matthew 5:11-12)
✤ Consider trials "pure joy" (James 1:2)
✤ Rejoice always - written by Paul in prison (Philippians 3:1)
It's impossible to rejoice in these hard acts of obedience in our own strength. But in Christ all things are possible (Matthew 19:26; Philippians 4:13).
And joy comes from looking beyond the difficulty to the reward:
"Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven." Matthew 5:12
This is part of a 10 part series on 9 Spiritual Disciplines found in Psalm 119:9-16. Read the entire series HERE.
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