Rejoice in the Light

Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light. —Matthew 10:27
speak a word in season to him who is weary -Isaiah 50:4

Matthew reminds us that we are to speak in the light (or in the public) whatever we are told in the dark (in private). Now, the other day we reflected on the importance of speaking harsh words, when necessary. But we need to be careful of getting to far over that side of the fence, because we also need to speak of joy. Some times it's all too tempting to enter into the culture of complaining.

In the past 2 years I've met my share of disgruntled grad students. In fact, when you hear a grad student speak pleasantly about their program, it's surprising. Just Friday at our GCF meeting, Mike teased me, when I began talking excitedly about Deborah's theories of conversation analysis and studies on high/low involvement speakers:

Mike- How's that PhD going for you, Katie?
Katie- Well... I'm not in the program yet.
Mike- Too bad.... You know, the life of a grad student, it isn't a bad life.

Can we too stop our complaining for a moment to "speak a word in season to him who is weary"? Can we take a break from the whining to see the joy and beauty and blessings which God has given to us? Let's take our example from David and the parables that Jesus told this morning, where we see outward expressions of joy... joy that is felt in the dark (inwardly) but expressed in the light (outwardly).


Rejoicing in Dance

16 As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.

17 They brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings [f] before the LORD. 18 After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD Almighty. 19 Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes.

20 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, "How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!"

21 David said to Michal, "It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD's people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD. 22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor." -2 Samuel 6:16-22

Just before this, David almost became disheartened when Urrah touched the ark and was struck dead. He wondered, "Will the ark of the covenant of the Lord ever reach me?" Perhaps we can relate to this, "Will ____ ever?" disheartened, wondering feeling.

I felt the same way myself as I moved here to Tucson, beginning to wonder, "Will I ever find someone? How could I ever find someone if I continue to move about every year?" Perhaps God's plan in bringing me here was to get me into a program that would keep me in the same place for more than 6 months. But when He brought Brad into my life, there was no end to my 'leaping' and 'dancing.' Of course, it was just figurative. But you could see it on my face. Brad asked my parents in NJ before he officially asked me, and we promised to only tell the family after he officially asked me. But my mom told me as we went to see the family, "They're going to know. You're just radiant!" With my big goofy smile, I must've looked as foolish as David, with his dancing. But I didn't care. I couldn't wait to tell everyone, for everyone to see how God had blessed me, how my wondering became a fulfillment of His promises.

Just as David mentions... it didn't matter if he himself looked foolish or became humiliated, which has its root in humility. We are to always humble ourselves before the Lord... and this means in our rejoicing as well! God's blessings are perhaps the most humbling... knowing that we could never have planned something so beautiful for ourselves, knowing that we don't deserve this but He gives it to us anyways. I am so filled with joy that God has brought me together with Brad. He blessed me with everything I could ever want for myself and more:

a man who loves God
a man who serves others
a man who cares for me
a man who sings me to sleep and calms my fears
a man who listens to me and takes me into account when we make decisions
a man who is very handsome in face and character
a man who speaks Spanish and Portuguese
a man who attends Bible studies and church with me
a man who loves me... for better or for worse


Rejoicing Together

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

1Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. 2But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
3Then Jesus told them this parable: 4"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' 7I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

The Parable of the Lost Coin

8"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins[a] and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' 10In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." -Luke 15:1-10

These two parables are very similar, but what's interesting in light of today's theme is the part that I've highlighted. They are most similar in the fact that the person doesn't just rejoice alone (in the dark, inwardly). The individual upon finding what was lost, goes and calls their friends and neighbors together and says, rejoice with me! There is value in rejoicing together... recognizing God's blessings multiplies the blessing within the community!

That is one thing that I have loved about our Romans Bible Study group this year. The whole group is so wonderful, and we've been able to learn so much from Romans. I'll certainly miss everyone over the summer. But, this year we've been able to rejoice with those who are rejoicing- with Jenn when she got her apartment set up, with Shijie when she got accepted to the Law Journal Review, with Blake when an article he wrote got accepted for publication. There are so many wonderful things that are happening in our lives, and when we share them... we can all share in that joy and together praise God for all He is doing.

Similarly, I'm looking forward to the (hopefully un-showery) wedding shower this weekend, just like the upcoming wedding in June. It'll be a moment when I can take my joy from the dark into the light... we can together rejoice in the beautiful union that God has created between Brad and myself. I'm so happy to call together my neighbors, friends family and say, "Rejoice with me; I have found the one God intended for me!"