The Excitement And Joy of Faith in the Old Testament

This article covers The Excitement And Joy Of Faith In The Old Testament.

Enthusiasm is intense enjoyment, interest, or approval. The word was originally used to refer to a person possessed by a god, or someone who exhibited intense piety.

Faith is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or concept. In the context of religion, one can define faith as confidence or trust in a particular system of religious belief. Religious people often think of faith as confidence based on a perceived degree of warrant, while others who are more skeptical of religion tend to think of faith as simply belief without evidence.

A belief is an attitude that something is the case, or that some proposition about the world is true. In epistemology, philosophers use the term “belief” to refer to attitudes about the world which can be either true or false.

Be glad… rejoice in the Lord your God. (Joel, 2:23)

… I desire to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart. (Psalms, 40:8)

I rejoice in following Your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways. I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your word. (Psalms, 119:14-16)

… The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy, 13:3)

Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him. Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart! (Psalms, 32:10-11)

… I keep Your precepts with all my heart. Their hearts are callous and unfeeling, but I delight in Your law… The law from Your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold. (Psalms, 119:69-72)

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy, 6:5)

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. (Psalms, 1:1-2)

Then Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in Your deliverance. There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides You; there is no strength like our God.” (1 Samuel, 2:1-2)

… for I delight in Your commands because I love them. I lift up my hands to Your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees. (Psalms, 119:47-48)

Trouble and distress have come upon me, but Your commands are my delight. Your statutes are forever right; give me understanding that I may live. (Psalms, 119:143-144)

Great peace have they who love Your law, and nothing can make them stumble. I wait for Your salvation, O Lord, and I follow Your commands. I obey Your statutes, for I love them greatly. (Psalms, 119:165-167)

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. (Psalms, 19:7-10)

Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them. (Psalms, 111:2)

Though rulers sit together and slander me, Your servant will meditate on Your decrees. Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors. (Psalms, 119:23-24)

Teach me, O Lord, to follow Your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. Give me understanding, and I will keep Your law and obey it with all my heart. Direct me in the path of Your commands, for there I find delight. (Psalms, 119:33-35)

May Your unfailing love be my comfort, according to Your promise to Your servant. Let Your compassion come to me that I may live, for Your law is my delight. (Psalms, 119:76-77)

But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find Him if you look for Him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy, 4:29)

Then I was… at His side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in His presence, rejoicing in His whole world and delighting in mankind. (Proverbs, 8:30-31)

If Your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have preserved my life. (Psalms, 119:92-93)

May my lips overflow with praise, for You teach me Your decrees. May my tongue sing of Your word, for all Your commands are righteous… I long for Your salvation, O Lord, and Your law is my delight. Let me live that I may praise You, and may Your laws sustain me. (Psalms, 119:171-175)

Blessed are they who keep: His statutes and seek Him with all their heart. (Psalms, 119:2)

So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains… (Deuteronomy, 11:13-14)

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is He Who made us, and we are His… Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. (Psalms, 100:1-4)

The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him… and I will exalt Him. (Exodus, 15:2)

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalms, 37:4)

Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in His commands. (Psalms, 112:1)

I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to Him, as I rejoice in the Lord… Praise the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord. (Psalms, 104:33-35)

Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You, who walk in the light of Your presence, O Lord. They rejoice in Your name all day long; they exult in Your righteousness. For You are their glory and strength, and by Your favor You exalt the strength. (Psalms, 89:15-17)

But may all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation always say, “The Lord be exalted!” (Psalms, 40:16; Psalms, 70:4)

Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise You with the harp, O God, my God. (Psalms, 43:4)

When Your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear Your name, O Lord God Almighty. (Jeremiah, 15:16)

But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. Sing to God, sing praise to His name… (Psalms, 68:3-4)

Accept, O Lord, the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me Your laws… Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. (Psalms, 119:108, 111)

I know, my God, that You test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly Your people who are here have given to You. O Lord… keep this desire in the hearts of Your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to You. And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion to keep Your commands, requirements and decrees and to do everything to build the palatial structure for which I have provided. (1 Chronicles, 29:17-19)

Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob! Begin the music, strike the tambourine, play the melodious harp and lyre. (Psalms, 81:1-2)

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me… Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me…and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise. (Psalms, 51:10-15)

But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create… (Isaiah, 65:18)

Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them. The unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. I open my mouth and pant, longing for Your commands. (Psalms, 119:129-131)

I will praise You with the harp for Your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to You with the lyre… My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to You—I, whom You have redeemed. My tongue will tell of Your righteous acts all day long… (Psalms, 71:22-24)

… So they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshipped. (2 Chronicles, 29:30)

With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord… And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord… (Ezra, 3:11)

… But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the Lord, Who is good, pardon everyone who sets his heart on seeking God—the Lord, the God of his fathers—even if he is not clean according to the rules of the house.” (2 Chronicles, 30:19)

My words come from an upright heart; my lips sincerely speak what I know. The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life. (Job, 33:3-4)

The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced. (1 Chronicles, 29:9)

… and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the Tent of Meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments. All who were willing, men and women alike, came… (Exodus, 35:21-22)

… [They] brought to the Lord freewill offerings for all the work the Lord through Moses had commanded them to do. (Exodus, 35:29)

Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear Me and keep all My commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever! (Deuteronomy, 5:29)

O Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of this Your servant and to the prayer of Your servants who delight in revering Your name. Give Your servant success today… (Nehemiah, 1:11)

… You made him glad with the joy of Your presence. For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken. (Psalms, 21:6-7)

The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang: “He is good; His love endures forever.” (2 Chronicles, 5:13)

I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise You. (Psalms, 63:4-5)

Sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious! (Psalms, 66:2)

Be exalted, O Lord, in Your strength; we will sing and praise Your might. (Psalms, 21:13)

… They rejoice before You as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder. (Isaiah, 9:3)

… Levites and priests sang to the Lord every day, accompanied by the Lord’s instruments of praise. (2 Chronicles, 30:21)

Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together. (Psalms, 34:3)

Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds. (Psalms, 149:5)

My servants will sing out of the joy of their hearts, but you will cry out from anguish of heart and wail in brokenness of spirit. (Isaiah, 65:14)

Because you did not serve the Lord your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity, therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the Lord sends against you. (Deuteronomy, 28:47-48)

“… Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah, 8:10)

… to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to obey His commands, to hold fast to Him and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul. (Joshua, 22:5)