Our Joyful Monday scripture comes from the Beatitudes, Matthew 5:12.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Matthew 5:11-12 (KJV)
Jesus tells the crowd that when they are persecuted for his sake they are to “rejoice” and be exceedingly glad because they have a great reward waiting for them in heaven.
That word, “Rejoice” literally means “Jump for Joy”, like the winning team on the football field when the game has been won.
We jump for joy when something good happens, but Jesus said to jump for joy BEFORE something good happens. That’s a big difference.
When our fourth child was born, we got bad news. Something was wrong, they could’t figure it out. Days in the hospital went by until finally they sent him home with no diagnosis but with a big bill which the insurance refused to pay.
It was oppressive. We were poor and constantly harassed for the moneyI We didn’t know what was wrong with our child or if he would survive. Tension headaches were constant.
I heard a message on rejoicing in the midst of problems, so I decided to act. When the pressure was unbearable I would find a private place to actually jump and praise God for the doctors, the bill collectors, the uncertainty and As I did this the pressure eased and I would go back to work. This would happen several times a day as months went by. Each time it was a matter of choice instead of feeling; intentional not reactive.
Through a miraculous series of events, the hospital bill was paid and we were free. A friend said, “I bet you jumped for joy when that happened!” “Friend”, I replied, the jumping for joy took place before the miracle.
Are you in an oppressive situation? Make the decision to intentionally rejoice (Jump for Joy), we have a great God who does miracles.
Patrikin - Kinship through The Father 