Some years ago, when I first began to catch sight of the supernatural power of joy, I did a study on it. During that study, I discovered that one of the biblical words for joy is translated “to shine.” Another word means “to leap.” Another means “to delight.” But in every case, joy is more than an attitude, it is an action.

As I studied, I also found out that, as Psalm 149 says, joyful praise gives God pleasure. It doesn’t offend God when we boisterously praise Him. He likes it. It gives Him pleasure to see us shine and leap and express our delight in Him.

“Let the saints be joyful in glory…Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand” (verses 5-6).

I know that by natural standards, that kind of exuberant praise doesn’t look very dignified. I looked up the word dignified once. It meant a lot of things, including “self-possession” or “self-respect.” I do not want to be self-possessed. I want to be Holy Spirit-controlled. But I am sure that my idea of dignity had kept me from being as free as I should be with the Lord.

As believers, we need to get past the point where we care about that. We need to focus instead on pleasing God. We should have such a desire to please Him that we don’t care how we look to other people.

“But Gloria, that’s easy for you to say. You’re comfortable with expressing yourself to God in praise.”

I haven’t always been. I was so conservative when I first began to walk with God that it took me a long time to even begin to lift my hands in praise. But I broke through that “dignity” and so can you!

Speak the Word

« I praise the Lord. I praise the Lord in the dance. I sing praises to Him with musical instruments. For the Lord takes pleasure in me. » (Psalm 149:1-4)