In my Bible reading the other morning I read the blessing God gave through Moses to the tribe Issachar. He told them they were to rejoice in their homes (Deuteronomy 33:18). The word for homes is “ohel” and it means “a covering, a dwelling place.” It can be used of a hut or a palace! It speaks of a home for animals or for a king (namely, David’s palace)!
Maybe you are living in cramped quarters. It feels like a hut! You long for more room. Can I encourage you to keep rejoicing? When Moses spoke those words to Issachar, they were living in temporary tents! They had no mod cons. No store down the road to run to if they ran out of something. And God wanted them to rejoice.
Rejoicing is a powerful attribute. It allows God to work in our lives and in our circumstances. When we complain and whine, we keep ourselves in our self-pity dungeon! And we stay miserable!
When we rejoice, our circumstances may not change, but our heart changes and we can face insurmountable odds with the joy of the Lord.
Do you remember the time when David came back from battle to his home city of Ziklag? They found it burned to the ground with fire. That would be enough to make you depressed. But the Amalekites had also taken all their wives, sons, and daughters captive! They were left with nothing. They all lifted up their voices and wept until they could weep no more! The men were so upset they wanted to stone David!
David was so distraught! But then the Bible tells us that “David encouraged himself in the LORD his God” (1 Samuel 30:6).
It was then God showed him what to do. He gave him the strategy and David and his men were able to recover all their wives and children. Verse 19 says “David recovered all.”
David had no answer to their terrible catastrophe while he was in a state of despair. We can’t hear from God when we are filled with bitterness, unforgiveness, and moaning. But when by faith we look to the Lord and rejoice in Him, things begin to change. It’s a biblical principle (Job 13;15 and Habakkuk 3:17, 18).
Be a rejoicing mother and fill your home with rejoicing. God loves rejoicing homes.
Blessings to you today from Nancy Campbell