Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, therefore you shall serve your enemies. —Deuteronomy 28:47-48, NKJV
This doctrine of God’s gladness isn’t a theological curiosity meant to entertain us. It is foundational to helping our hearts grow into spiritual maturity. When we enter into God’s joy and gladness, the door to much of Satan’s activity slams shut in our lives. The joy of serving God keeps us from compromise. A glad heart is a strong heart. The Bible says the joy of the Lord is our strength (Neh. 8:10). And don’t get the wrong idea about the above verse from Deuteronomy. God is not acting out of spite. He’s not pouting and saying, “I was glad, and you would not enter into My gladness, so forget it. You’re going to serve your enemies. Now you’re really going to hurt.” Rather, He is laying out the only two options that exist. Either we enter into His gladness with whole hearts, or we will eventually come under the influence of the enemy, giving in to his accusations, becoming offended at God.
{ PRAYER STARTER }
Lord, that’s exactly what I want. I want You to realign my heart, transform my spirit, and strengthen, mature, and renew my life. I will not give way to the enemy, but I will accept the joy of the Lord as my strength.
God would have us experience His happy heart
so our hearts might be realigned, transformed,
strengthened, matured, and renewed.
