Verse Twelve: Psalm 48:11

Mount Zion rejoices, the villages of Judah are glad because of your judgments.
Psalm 48:11 NIV

12 of 44 of H1523

Its one of those days that has really gotten my heart racing, rushing around and ultimately having to fight for my priorities to be kept.  It is a fight isn't it? Not to be selfish but to maintain yourself, to keep things inline.  There are so many things to pull us away from God, the source of everything we actually need, and the next thing you know you're completely drained, sapped.

I love this blog, it has been such a gift, honestly.  A rejuvenating blessing, something I look forward to. And I think that is why I have been trying to share it more. Not like I have anything amazing to say, but God does and when He speaks to us isn't it hard not to share? There is such peace here...

This Psalm reads like a love song to Mount Zion saying,  "Take her in, isn't she gorgeous?" It is the Lord's holy mountain, His city. He protects it, makes it a secure place, a place of meditation. 

Verse 14 is so beautiful, "For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end." The beauty of it is the truth that pulls at the sense of eternity in our hearts. My heart longs for this to be true and simultaneously rejoices that it is.  This is why Mount Zion rejoices, why the villages of Judah are glad, because of God's judgements, His decisions... which is His guidance. We so often read "judgement" and think heaven or hell, judgement of sin, etc. The ominous judge, high above, waiting to sentence us.  And not saying this is not the correct application at times...ok maybe not the ominous judge...but my point is that it is not always a scary or negative connotation. When we are following a leader, we are relying on them to make the right decision about which way to go, what to do and how to respond. What better guide than one that knows all and sees all? Its hard to give up that control, to have faith that He will keep us safe and protect us, but when that truth sinks in we cannot help but rejoice in the security we feel there in His guidance. 

All of the Strong's H1523 verses

{ Quick Note: I had to keep the King James Version for these in order to show the Strong's reference numbers. If you want an easier version to read, simply google the verse reference }
TOTAL: 44

1Ch 16:31 KJV - "Let the heavens [8064] be glad [8055] , and let the earth [776] rejoice[1523] : and let men say [559] among the nations [1471], The LORD [3068] reigneth [4427] ."

Psa 2:11 KJV - "Serve [5647] the LORD [3068] with fear [3374], and rejoice[1523] with trembling [7461]."

Psa 9:14 KJV - "That I may shew forth [5608] all thy praise [8416] in the gates [8179] of the daughter [1323] of Zion [6726]: I will rejoice[1523] in thy salvation [3444]."

Psa 13:4 KJV - "Lest mine enemy [341] say [559] , I have prevailed [3201] against him; and those that trouble [6862] me rejoice[1523] when I am moved [4131] ."

Psa 13:5 KJV - "But I have trusted [982] in thy mercy [2617]; my heart [3820] shall rejoice[1523] in thy salvation [3444]."

Psa 14:7 KJV - "Oh that [5414] the salvation [3444] of Israel [3478] were come out of Zion [6726]! when the LORD [3068] bringeth back [7725] the captivity [7622] of his people [5971], Jacob [3290] shall rejoice[1523] , and Israel [3478] shall be glad [8055] ."

Psa 16:9 KJV - "Therefore my heart [3820] is glad [8055] , and my glory [3519] rejoiceth[1523] : my flesh [1320] also shall rest [7931] in hope [983]."

Psa 21:1 KJV - "[[To the chief Musician [5329] , A Psalm [4210] of David [1732].]] The king [4428] shall joy [8055] in thy strength [5797], O LORD [3068]; and in thy salvation [3444] how greatly [3966] shall he rejoice[1523] !"

Psa 31:7 KJV - "I will be glad[1523] and rejoice [8055] in thy mercy [2617]: for thou hast considered [7200] my trouble [6040]; thou hast known [3045] my soul [5315] in adversities [6869];"

Psa 32:11 KJV - "Be glad [8055] in the LORD [3068], and rejoice[1523] , ye righteous [6662]: and shout [7442] for joy, all ye that are upright [3477] in heart [3820]."

Psa 35:9 KJV - "And my soul [5315] shall be joyful[1523] in the LORD [3068]: it shall rejoice [7797] in his salvation [3444]."

Psa 48:11 KJV - "Let mount [2022] Zion [6726] rejoice [8055] , let the daughters [1323] of Judah [3063] be glad[1523] , because of thy judgments [4941]."

Psa 51:8 KJV - "Make me to hear [8085] joy [8342] and gladness [8057]; that the bones [6106] which thou hast broken [1794] may rejoice[1523] ."

Psa 53:6 KJV - "Oh that [5414] the salvation [3444] of Israel [3478] were come out of Zion [6726]! When God [430] bringeth back [7725] the captivity [7622] of his people [5971], Jacob [3290] shall rejoice[1523] , and Israel [3478] shall be glad [8055] ."

Psa 89:16 KJV - "In thy name [8034] shall they rejoice[1523] all the day [3117]: and in thy righteousness [6666] shall they be exalted [7311] ."

Psa 96:11 KJV - "Let the heavens [8064] rejoice [8055] , and let the earth [776] be glad[1523] ; let the sea [3220] roar [7481] , and the fulness [4393] thereof."

Psa 97:1 KJV - "The LORD [3068] reigneth [4427] ; let the earth [776] rejoice[1523] ; let the multitude [7227] of isles [339] be glad [8055] thereof."

Psa 97:8 KJV - "Zion [6726] heard [8085] , and was glad [8055] ; and the daughters [1323] of Judah [3063] rejoiced[1523] because of thy judgments [4941], O LORD [3068]."

Psa 118:24 KJV - "This is the day [3117] which the LORD [3068] hath made [6213] ; we will rejoice[1523] and be glad [8055] in it."

Psa 149:2 KJV - "Let Israel [3478] rejoice [8055] in him that made [6213] him: let the children [1121] of Zion [6726] be joyful[1523] in their King [4428]."

Pro 2:14 KJV - "Who rejoice [8056] to do [6213] evil [7451], and delight[1523] in the frowardness [8419] of the wicked [7451];"

Pro 23:24 KJV - "The father [1] of the righteous [6662] shall greatly [1524] rejoice[1523] : and he that begetteth [3205] a wise [2450] child shall have joy [8055] of him."

Pro 23:25 KJV - "Thy father [1] and thy mother [517] shall be glad [8055] , and she that bare [3205] thee shall rejoice[1523] ."

Pro 24:17 KJV - "Rejoice [8055] not when thine enemy [341] falleth [5307] , and let not thine heart [3820] be glad[1523] when he stumbleth [3782] :"

Sgs 1:4 KJV - "Draw [4900] me, we will run [7323] after [310] thee: the king [4428] hath brought [935] me into his chambers [2315]: we will be glad[1523] and rejoice [8055] in thee, we will remember [2142] thy love [1730] more than wine [3196]: the upright [4339] love [157] thee."


Isa 9:3 KJV - "Thou hast multiplied [7235] the nation [1471], and not increased [1431] the joy [8057]: they joy [8055] before [6440] thee according to the joy [8057] in harvest [7105], and as men rejoice[1523] when they divide [2505] the spoil [7998]."

Isa 25:9 KJV - "And it shall be said [559] in that day [3117], Lo, this is our God [430]; we have waited [6960] for him, and he will save [3467] us: this is the LORD [3068]; we have waited [6960] for him, we will be glad[1523] and rejoice [8055] in his salvation [3444]."

Isa 29:19 KJV - "The meek [6035] also shall increase [3254] their joy [8057] in the LORD [3068], and the poor [34] among men [120] shall rejoice[1523] in the Holy One [6918] of Israel [3478]."

Isa 35:1 KJV - "The wilderness [4057] and the solitary place [6723] shall be glad [7797] for them; and the desert [6160] shall rejoice[1523] , and blossom [6524] as the rose [2261]."

Isa 35:2 KJV - "It shall blossom [6524] abundantly [6524] , and rejoice[1523] even with joy [1525] and singing [7444] : the glory [3519] of Lebanon [3844] shall be given [5414] unto it, the excellency [1926] of Carmel [3760] and Sharon [8289], they shall see [7200] the glory [3519] of the LORD [3068], and the excellency [1926] of our God [430]."

Isa 41:16 KJV - "Thou shalt fan [2219] them, and the wind [7307] shall carry them away [5375] , and the whirlwind [5591] shall scatter [6327] them: and thou shalt rejoice[1523] in the LORD [3068], and
shalt glory [1984] in the Holy One [6918] of Israel [3478]."

Isa 49:13 KJV - "Sing [7442] , O heavens [8064]; and be joyful[1523] , O earth [776]; and break forth [6476] into singing [7440], O mountains [2022]: for the LORD [3068] hath comforted [5162] his people [5971], and will have mercy [7355] upon his afflicted [6041]."

Isa 61:10 KJV - "I will greatly [7797] rejoice [7797] in the LORD [3068], my soul [5315] shall be joyful[1523] in my God [430]; for he hath clothed [3847] me with the garments [899] of salvation [3468], he hath covered [3271] me with the robe [4598] of righteousness [6666], as a bridegroom [2860] decketh [3547] himself with ornaments [6287], and as a bride [3618] adorneth [5710] herself with her jewels [3627]."

Isa 65:18 KJV - "But be ye glad [7797] and rejoice[1523] for ever [5703] in that which I create [1254] : for, behold, I create [1254] Jerusalem [3389] a rejoicing [1525], and her people [5971] a joy [4885]."

Isa 65:19 KJV - "And I will rejoice[1523] in Jerusalem [3389], and joy [7797] in my people [5971]: and the voice [6963] of weeping [1065] shall be no more heard [8085] in her, nor the voice [6963] of crying [2201]."

Isa 66:10 KJV - "Rejoice [8055] ye with Jerusalem [3389], and be glad[1523] with her, all ye that love [157] her: rejoice [7797] for joy [4885] with her, all ye that mourn [56] for her:"

Hsa 10:5 KJV - "The inhabitants [7934] of Samaria [8111] shall fear [1481] because of the calves [5697] of Bethaven [1007]: for the people [5971] thereof shall mourn [56] over it, and the priests [3649] thereof that rejoiced[1523] on it, for the glory [3519] thereof, because it is departed [1540] from it."

Joe 2:21 KJV - "Fear [3372] not, O land [127]; be glad[1523] and rejoice [8055] : for the LORD [3068] will do [6213] great things [1431] ."

Joe 2:23 KJV - "Be glad[1523] then, ye children [1121] of Zion [6726], and rejoice [8055] in the LORD [3068] your God [430]: for he hath given [5414] you the former rain [4175] moderately [6666], and he will cause to come down [3381] for you the rain [1653], the former rain [4175], and the latter rain [4456] in the first [7223] month."

Hab 1:15 KJV - "They take up [5927] all of them with the angle [2443], they catch [1641] them in their net [2764], and gather [622] them in their drag [4365]: therefore they rejoice [8055] and are glad[1523] ."

Hab 3:18 KJV - "Yet I will rejoice [5937] in the LORD [3068], I will joy[1523] in the God [430] of my salvation [3468]."

Zep 3:17 KJV - "The LORD [3068] thy God [430] in the midst [7130] of thee is mighty [1368]; he will save [3467] , he will rejoice [7797] over thee with joy [8057]; he will rest [2790] in his love [160], he will joy[1523] over thee with singing [7440]."

Zec 9:9 KJV - "Rejoice[1523] greatly [3966], O daughter [1323] of Zion [6726]; shout [7321] , O daughter [1323] of Jerusalem [3389]: behold, thy King [4428] cometh [935] unto thee: he is just [6662], and having salvation [3467] ; lowly [6041], and riding [7392] upon an ass [2543], and upon a colt [5895] the foal [1121] of an ass [860]."

Zec 10:7 KJV - "And they of Ephraim [669] shall be like a mighty [1368] man, and their heart [3820] shall rejoice [8055] as through wine [3196]: yea, their children [1121] shall see [7200] it, and be glad [8055] ; their heart [3820] shall rejoice[1523] in the LORD [3068]."

Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for giyl (Strong's 1523)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2012. 15 Feb 2012. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
strongs=H1523&t=KJV&page=2 >

Verse Eleven: Psalm 35:9: Crying Out

And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD; It shall rejoice in His salvation. Psalm 35:9

(11 of 44 of H1523)

Today is a hard day to write about joy. Without going into too much detail, this morning has been a real struggle for me. But a part of my brain says, "This is the day you need to write about it most." Hm. 

George Carlin once said, "Inside every cynical person is a disappointed idealist." 

It's hard to remain idealistic about life, dreams, and goals when you lose sight of the small headway you've made. All you can see is that there are a lot of hopes and they are the same exact hopes you've had for decades. You don't feel any closer to them. If anything, they feel farther away. 

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Phillipians 4:8 NIV

This is hard when what you feel is entirely different. When the current facts and statistics that are looking back at you from the page are not good or lovely. They're disheartening and uninspiring. Lack of progress can suck the motivation right out of me. If trying and not trying equal the same results, why try? 

I am thankful for my husband today because he is often the person that speaks truth to me when I am so discouraged. And we need those people to break through the haze our mind is in at that point. He reminds me that there has been progress, no matter how minuscule. But I feel that constantly relying on others to pull me out of darkness is not maturity. Not that this is weak or that I will even stop turning to others for help, that would be prideful. But my mind needs to learn to change too, to counter attack when attacked, not just curl up in a little ball and cry in fear. I need to choose to stand, not just be carried all the time. Why do I forget all about God and what the Word says in these moments? I am still writing that on my heart. Still learning to see those moments for what they really are: a lie to discourage me, to stop me. 

So here is the tie in to today's verse. Most of Psalm 35 is David asking God to fight for him. And this is probably in reference to real life attacks as he was being pursued by a crazy king out for his blood. But today, it's also my cry. 

Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. 

Say to my soul, "I am your salvation." 

Psalm 35:3

Ours is a spiritual enemy, but he is no less out for our blood and destruction. This fight is no less real and we are no less God's chosen than David was.

I hope this blog made some sense because my mind is still not clear. I wish I could say that as soon as I declared the truth it all fell away, like magic. Sometimes breakthrough happens like that, yeah? But not today. Today I am still fighting the despair, declaring that I will not accept this bleak outlook as truth, I won't stop doing what I am doing. And its working, little by little. I just have to keep holding onto His hand as I try to walk in something I am not used to walking in.

You are good, You are good

When there's nothing good in me

You are love, You are love 

On display for all to see

You are light, You are light 

When the darkness closes in

You are hope, You are hope

You have covered all my sin

You are peace, You are peace

When my fear is crippling

You are true, You are true

Even in my wandering

You are joy, You are joy 

You're the reason that I sing

You are life, You are life, 

In You death has lost its sting

Forever Reign- Hillsong