But let all who take refuge in You be glad, Let them ever sing for joy; And may You shelter them, That those who love Your name may exult in You. (Psalm 5:11)

That those who love Your name may exult in You.

Don’t we usually exult in what we love? Exulting is the expression of great joy. I can’t imagine not being exultant about something I love. Well, I might not always express it…but this psalm reminds me that I should.

Being happy and joyful aren’t the same thing. Happiness is a feeling or emotional condition. It’s static, situational. Joy is deep-seated and chronic. Exultation is the expression of joy as cheerleading is to happiness. We don’t walk around shouting cheers, jumping up and down, clapping our hands and stirring up the excitement of those around us. Cheerleading is in limited time. We cheer for something exciting. Cheering in some situations isn’t appropriate.

But exultation, the expression of joy, is an anytime, all the time possibility. Exultation isn’t about the one expressing it; it’s about the focus: God Himself. So is joy. Joy is only possible because of God, because all true joy comes from Him. Love, joy, exultation—they’re all connected through God. They can’t be disconnected because they are all of God.

If we love God, we find joy in Him, and we exult Him. Again, it doesn’t mean we’re always happy about everything. It means we have a deep-seated joy. We settle into who God is and what He says about our lives so that we’re not dependent on the whim of changing situations. We stand firmly on the foundation of who He is, settling into the contentedness of what and how He provides. We find peace in chaos, contentedness in confusion, joy in pain. One doesn’t cancel out the other. One exists as a constancy because of the dependency of who God is.

There’s confusion about this, and we Christians don’t always portray the truth. Finding peace in chaos, contentedness in confusion, and joy in pain can come off as pasting on a smile and hiding the truth of what’s going on behind the scenes. But when we find peace, contentedness, and joy as God provides, nothing could be further from the truth. Living life God’s way is authentic. It’s not looking at life with rose-colored glasses. It’s realistic—God’s reality.

To exult God, we have to know and claim the truth of God. We can’t exult a distortion of who God is. We must be authentic because God is truth, and we are created in His image. We can feel one thing, and be honest about it, but claim the truthfulness of who God is and what He promises to provide. We can say, “This situation is chaotic. I feel the world swirling around me as if I have no control over anything. But while the world spins, my feet are firmly placed on solid ground. I know God is God and I can rely on Him. There is no uncertainty in Him. Just because I don’t know all the details or understand what’s going on, I know God, and I trust He will continue to provide and guide as He sees is best.”

But let all who take refuge in You be glad,

Let them ever sing for joy;

And may You shelter them,

That those who love Your name may exult in You. (Psalm 5:11)

 

That those who love Your name may exult in You.

Don’t we usually exult in what we love? Exulting is the expression of great joy. I can’t imagine not being exultant about something I love. Well, I might not always express it…but this psalm reminds me that I should.

Being happy and joyful aren’t the same thing. Happiness is a feeling or emotional condition. It’s static, situational. Joy is deep-seated and chronic. Exultation is the expression of joy as cheerleading is to happiness. We don’t walk around shouting cheers, jumping up and down, clapping our hands and stirring up the excitement of those around us. Cheerleading is in limited time. We cheer for something exciting. Cheering in some situations isn’t appropriate.

But exultation, the expression of joy, is an anytime, all the time possibility. Exultation isn’t about the one expressing it; it’s about the focus: God Himself. So is joy. Joy is only possible because of God, because all true joy comes from Him. Love, joy, exultation—they’re all connected through God. They can’t be disconnected because they are all of God.

If we love God, we find joy in Him, and we exult Him. Again, it doesn’t mean we’re always happy about everything. It means we have a deep-seated joy. We settle into who God is and what He says about our lives so that we’re not dependent on the whim of changing situations. We stand firmly on the foundation of who He is, settling into the contentedness of what and how He provides. We find peace in chaos, contentedness in confusion, joy in pain. One doesn’t cancel out the other. One exists as a constancy because of the dependency of who God is.

There’s confusion about this, and we Christians don’t always portray the truth. Finding peace in chaos, contentedness in confusion, and joy in pain can come off as pasting on a smile and hiding the truth of what’s going on behind the scenes. But when we find peace, contentedness, and joy as God provides, nothing could be further from the truth. Living life God’s way is authentic. It’s not looking at life with rose-colored glasses. It’s realistic—God’s reality.

To exult God, we have to know and claim the truth of God. We can’t exult a distortion of who God is. We must be authentic because God is truth, and we are created in His image. We can feel one thing, and be honest about it, but claim the truthfulness of who God is and what He promises to provide. We can say, “This situation is chaotic. I feel the world swirling around me as if I have no control over anything. But while the world spins, my feet are firmly placed on solid ground. I know God is God and I can rely on Him. There is no uncertainty in Him. Just because I don’t know all the details or understand what’s going on, I know God, and I trust He will continue to provide and guide as He sees is best.”

We don’t exult God because we feel like it, just as we don’t withhold exulting God because we don’t feel like it. We exult God because of who He is. We exult Him because we love Him. He loves us. We find joy in Him. He is worthy.

 

Accept.

Dear God, I exult You. I praise You for who You are. You give me joy. You give me love. You give me peace. You give me Yourself. I am who I am because of You, and I thank You. I will exult You all the days of my life, in all the situations, clinging to You for everything every step of the way.

We exult Him because we love Him. He loves us. We find joy in Him. He is worthy.

 

Dear God, I exult You. I praise You for who You are. You give me joy. You give me love. You give me peace. You give me Yourself. I am who I am because of You, and I thank You. I will exult You all the days of my life, in all the situations, clinging to You for everything every step of the way.