Commands Bring Joy

The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.

At first, this might seem an oxymoron: A command brings joy? However, Scripture is clear: spending time in God’s Word, the Bible, brings joy to your heart and life. Check out some of the keywords as written in the original Hebrew: The precepts (commands) of the Lord (Yahweh, the most holy name of God) are right (straight and upright). For that reason, these upright commands bring joy to your heart.

Your heart is your inner person: mind, emotion, soul, and will—your true self. Joy in this context means to receive gladness, pleasure, cheer, and happiness, and move to a state of merriment. (That is a lovely place to dwell, right?) These commands are radiant. The word commands here can also be rendered “God’s prescription for life,” and they are pure, innocent, and clean. They bring joy because they enlighten or make our path brighter, like a lantern or flashlight aids so we can walk sure in the darkness. Another synonym for enlighten is dawn, so the powerful light of Scripture pierces the darkness and turns dark into light!

Choose Joy Today: In what areas of your life do you need more light for the next step on your path? One way to gain God’s insight is to go to a Bible app and search by keywords. For example, if you need wisdom for finances, search words such as money or savings, then read verses until you discern the insight you need.