LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil
Saturday 6th November 2021
REJOICE AND TRUST IN THE LORD
Scripture Reading: Psalm 5
But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. Psalm 5:11
Having asked the Lord to cast the wicked away, David turns to celebration in the Lord. We see a bright contrast between the earlier verses and today’s verse. David no longer sees himself as a lonely man surrounded by evil plotters. He becomes conscious of all those who put their trust in the Lord like himself, and joins them in rejoicing in the Lord.
While those who plan evil against God’s purposes will be cast away, those who trust in the Lord will experience His joy. This is the assurance we have from the scriptures. It is a promise we can experience if we faithfully put our trust in Him.
This verse tells us three things that we must do.
1. Let us rejoice because we trust in God. How can we be disappointed when our confidence is in the Lord? When we trust the Lord, we must not fall for the temptation to bow down our heads in the face of challenges. Our trust in the Lord must evoke great rejoicing in Him!
2. Let us shout for joy because the Lord defends us. How can we be intimidated when the Lord is our defender? When we recognize that it is the Lord, the Creator of the universe that defends and rescues us, praise will well up in our hearts. We must exuberantly celebrate God’s protection and safety.
3. Let us be joyful because we love the name of the Lord. How can we be depressed when the name of the Lord is our strong tower? His name is our place of refuge. It is our escape from depression and despair. Joy is ours because we honour and bless the name of the Lord.
Our days can be filled with the joy of the Lord. When we follow David’s call to willfully rejoice and praise Him, He will respond by giving us unspeakable joy. May our eyes be opened to see His goodness all around us.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, you fill my mouth with shouts of joy because I trust in you. I rejoice in you with all my heart. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
