DOES THE LORD REJOICE IN MY GOODNESS?
So the LORD your God will make you abound in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the offspring of your livestock, and the produce of your land. Indeed, the LORD will again delightH7797 in your goodness, as He delightedH7797 in that of your fathers, if you obey the LORD your God by keeping His commandments and statutes that are written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn to Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Deuteronomy 30:9-10
H7797 – . . . It refers to the Lord’s taking delight or joy over blessing, punishing, or disciplining His people if they need it (Deut. 28:63; 30:9; Jer. 32:41; Zeph. 3:7)
The Complete Word Study Dictionary, Warren Baker and Eugene Carpenter, ed.
In this passage, God is setting forth blessings and curses: His prescription for blessings to those who obey Him and a prescription for discipline for those who continue in disobedience. These particular verses describe God’s delight or “rejoicing” in the KJV when Israel returns to obedience and He restores them after a time of captivity. The Lord takes joy in blessing His children. He rejoiced when the nation of Israel walked in obedience. Although these promises are for His Chosen People, Israel, the Lord rejoices, also, over those He has chosen for salvation from the non-Jews (Gentiles) as well as the Jews. His promise to provide abundantly for those who are obedient, still applies to those who trust in Christ today. Our salvation is completely by grace, and the price to redeem us was paid in full by Jesus on the cross. Nothing we do or fail to do can change our status as children of the Lord once we surrender our lives to Him and receive the gift of salvation. However, God still takes joy in His children when we are obedient to His will and His ways; and we will experience His blessing in our lives.
Are you walking in obedience to what you understand of God’s word today? Does your life give God cause to rejoice? Is there anything that you need to change today by the power of the Holy Spirit within you in order to bring the Lord joy? Do you love the Lord God with all your heart and soul? These are good questions to ask ourselves periodically, not to be legalistic but out of desire to bring joy to the Father who loves us unconditionally and eternally. We are His joy simply because as our Father, He delights in us. But that joy is multiplied when we act on our desire to please our Heavenly Father by being obedient to His commands. We please the Lord the most by understanding that we are the children of the King and behave like children of the Most High God.
Father, it is our desire to be pleasing to You, to know that You rejoice over our obedience. Please reveal to us anything in our lives that needs to change in order to be completely within in Your will for us. Help us to recognize the Holy Spirit’s nudges and correct any wrong behavior.