“Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!” (1 Chronicles 16:10). What should cause you to be happy? What should cause you to know that there are value and purpose in life? David, the King in Israel, believed that seeking the Lord and His strength should cause us to be happy – to rejoice.
In times of trouble and times of sorrow, in the height of anxiety and the depth of despair, we need to apply our minds to something more important than ourselves. We lose heart when we look at ourselves and our plights too often and for too long. Looking outside of ourselves is the solution to this myopic approach to life, but looking outside to the wrong person or circumstance will not help us either.
The writer of Hebrews, guided by the Holy Spirit, wrote it this way, “…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2). When the troubles of life weigh you down, and the despair of hopelessness brings you low, start focusing on Christ, Jehovah, and seek the Lord and His strength. Then, your heart can rejoice! “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4).
