The Joy of the King

‘David the king also rejoiced with great joy.’—I Chron. xxix. 9.
DO not let us think of the joy of our King over His people as only future. While we cannot look forward too much to the day when He shall present us  ‘faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,’ let us not overlook the present gladness which we, even we, who have so often grieved Him, may give to our King.

1 2 Tim. iii. lo. 2 Acts xi. 23. 3 i John iii. 20.
4 Jer. xiii. 11. 6 Jude 24.

Elsewhere we hear of the joy of angels over repenting sinners;’ here we have a glimpse of the joy of the King of angels over His consecrated ones. Look at the whole passage,—it is full of typical light,—and let us take it ‘ for our learning.”  ‘ Who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord ? ‘ Silence is negative here : there must be a definite heart-response if we are willing. Are you? If so, when? The King’s question says nothing of some day, but of ‘ this day.’ And the question is put to you: if never before, it is sounding in your ears now. Shall your service be His, ‘this day,’  and henceforth? or
The result of willing consecration of ourselves and our service is always joy. ‘ The people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly ; ‘ but was it not far more, far sweeter, that their king ‘ also rejoiced with great joy’ ? How they must have felt when He said, ‘ Now have I seen with joy Thy people which are present here, to offer willingly unto Thee ! ‘
For when a heart and life are willingly offered and fully surrendered to Him, He sees of ‘ the travail of His soul” in it; it is a new accomplishment of the work which He came to do: and what then ? He ‘ is satisfied.’ If motive were wanting to yield ourselves unto Him, would it not be more than supplied by the thought that it will be satisfaction and joy to Him ‘ who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood ‘ ?  It seems just the one blessed opportunity given to us of being His true cup-bearers of bringing the wine of joy to our King ; and in so doing He will make our own cups to run over.
As our own hearts are filled with the intense joy of consecration to our Lord, a yet intenser glow will come as we remember that His joy is greater than ours, for He is anointed ‘ with the oil of gladness above ‘ His ‘ fellows.’

1 Luke XV. lo. 2 Rom. xv. 4. ^ 1 Chron. xxix. 5.
< Josh. xxiv. 15. 5 I Chron. xxix. 9. ^ i Chron. xxix. 17,
7 Isa. liii. n. 8 Rom. vi. 13. 8 Rev. i. 5.

Shall not ‘ this day’ be  the day of the gladness of “His heart’?  Will you not consecrate your service to-day unto Him ?  For then ‘ He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love ; He will joy over thee with singing.’
Take myself, and I will be, Ever, only, all, for Thee !