Exodus 18:9-10
Then Jethro rejoiced for all the good which the Lord had done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. And Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.
INSIGHT
-Rejoice in Hebrew is written as gil & it means be glad, be merry, be joyful, cheer, gladden, exhilarate, exult, gloat, triumph, be happy, delight.
-Egypt was a picture of oppression, slavery & captivity while Pharaoh was a picture of the evil one/ oppressor. Jethro, Moses father-in-law was gladden & praised God for the great victory of freedom from slavery. After Christs resurrection, He appeared to His disciples & said to them “Rejoice”, the disciples held His feet & worshiped Him (Mat 28:9).
-Let us rejoice for Jesus died for our sins, He lives forevermore & Has the keys of Hades & Death (Rev 1:18). Even when we were dead in trespasses, Gods made us alive together with Christ in His great love & mercy raised us up together with Him & made us sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph 2:4-7).
PRAYER
We thank You Father for Your great love & mercy upon us. May our faith in You; resurrect new hope in our day today lives, to inculcate fresh graces in our journey of salvation. In Your gift of sonship, lead us to always share in Your love & wisdom just as it is in heavenly places so that we may emerge victorious in all that we do. We thank You, worship You, praise You & lift Your name high; forever. Amen
1 Samuel 2:1
And Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord. I smile at my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
INSIGHT
-Hannah was desolate & cried in desperation; & the Lord granted her strength. Horn in Hebrew was commonly used to signify strength, just like a bull with horns is perceived to be stronger than one without. Her prayer was accompanied by thanksgiving as she rejoiced for the Lord had granted her request of a son.
-In 1 Thes 5:16-18, Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
PRAYER
We give You thanks Father, for the gift of life & everything that You have bestowed unto us. Strengthen us in our weaknesses & grant us the deepest desires of our hearts. Increase our faith to perceive that when we are weak; we are strong in You. Amen
Psalm 33:1-4
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful. Praise the Lord with the harp; Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings. Sing to Him a new song; Play skilfully with a shout of joy. For the word of the Lord is right, And all His work is done in truth.
INSIGHT
-King David loved to praise God & was exceedingly successful in his life which extended to his descendants. In his time; a ten string instrument (harp) was commonly used in worship. A new song here indicates new manifestations of Gods goodness & mercy; & the righteous have obtained His grace.
-When we rejoice in Him; we recognise that He is our creator, source of life, sustainer, protector, Helper, provider & therefore appreciate, honor, revere & give Him thanks for all things.
PRAYER
We give You thanks Father, for Your graces, goodness & mercy upon our lives. Your Word is right & Your works are done in truth. You are our creator, sustainer, King of kings & Lord of lords. In humility, we honor, respect & worship You for all things. All glory belong to You; forever. Amen
Romans 12:15-16
Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
INSIGHT
-Apostle Paul reminds us that we should be our brothers keepers in an association of love & care for one another at all times. When we love one another, we love God & when we follow His teachings we gain wisdom (Prov 3:7). We should sympathise with those who calamity has befallen them & give them hope of a brighter future. In John 11:35, Jesus wept at the grave of His friend Lazarus; a show of love & affection. At the same time; we should celebrate with those are jubilant & happy for those who succeed, not envying anyone. Further, humility is a key kingdom/ Christian living principle; which creates approachability by all classes of people & it pleases God. It is a doorway to access from God & others around us.
PRAYER
We are one body in You Father, unite us by Your love. We pray for the fruit of humility & love to fill our hearts so that we may live peaceably with one another. May we always be thoughtful of one another as we share in their joy & sorrows. Walk with us in all things. Amen
Luke 15:4-7
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.
INSIGHT
-Jesus taught the parable of lost sheep which symbolised His mission of reconciling us to the Father. For we have all sinned & fallen short of the glory of God, we should humbly ask for forgiveness as He is faithful to forgive us. In forgiving all those who wrong us, we are reconciled to them & unlock our own forgiveness. Christ is the good Shepherd & we are His sheep, for He laid His life for us. Sheep have a characteristic of being obedient to their master unlike goats which are mostly defiant. Through our repentance & obedience, there is much rejoicing in heaven.
SUMMARY
-Jethro, Moses father-in-law rejoiced for the Lord had delivered the Israelites from the oppression of the Egyptians/ evil one. Christ died, resurrected & lives forevermore. Even when we were dead in trespasses, God made us to sit in the high places through Jesus Christ in His great love, mercy & grace; as His sons.
-We are reminded to rejoice always, pray without ceasing & in all thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for us.
-When we rejoice in God; we recognise that He is our creator, sustainer, protector, Helper, provider & therefore appreciate, honor, revere & give Him thanks for all things.
-We are called to rejoice with those who rejoice & weep with those who weep. In doing so we are mindful of our neighbour & the love of God manifests in us.
PRAYER
We humbly, ask You Father, to forgive us our trespasses for we have sinned & fallen short of Your glory. Help us Lord to always be obedient to You as we seek first Your Kingdom & Your righteousness. May Your grace abound in us forever. We praise, honor & give You thanks for all things. Amen