Jubilation is defined as uninhibited rejoicing in the celebration of a victory or success. This simply means when you think about all the things that could have made you a victim yet you came out unharmed, you should rejoice. When you think about all the things that tried to make you stumble yet you succeeded, you should be rejoicing. When you think about all the times folk said you wouldn’t amount to nothing and instead of falling, God gave you strength to walk, you should be rejoicing. Now, this isn’t any type of rejoicing but it’s that crazy praise type rejoicing, the kind that has your clothes twisted, your hair a little messy and a little sweat on your forehead. Yea, the kind of crazy praise that allows you to shout off the stress of last year and dance in the blessings of the New Year. The kind of jubilation praise that’ll have you ready to shout on Monday in bible study, Tuesday in the middle of your living room, Wednesday at Prayer Meeting, Thursday at choir rehearsal, Friday while you’re sitting at work, Saturday at the Beauty/Barber shop and all over again at Worship on Sunday. When I think about the cancer that could be attacking my body, the accident that I avoided that should have claimed my life, how I could have been addicted to crack, pain pills or alcohol or how I could have been walking the street; I rejoice. When I think about all the things I could be going through right now, I rejoice. When I want to give up and God says, “Don’t stop now you’re too close;” I rejoice. When my enemies surround me, God says, “Don’t worry about them, I’ll make them your footstool,” I rejoice. When folks talk about me, God says, “Oh, their opinions don’t matter, only mine does,” I rejoice. When I look around at my life and realize that I’m beyond blessed, God says, “This is only the beginning,” I rejoice! (Yes sah!) See, it’s these things that cause me to celebrate and because I have the victory, I offer God my jubilation praise! I don’t have to wait until Sunday morning to show my appreciation when God shows up on a Friday night to give me rest, when he shows up on Monday with a financial blessing that allows me to make it to payday and when he shows up on Saturday with a calming peace that surpasses all my understanding. Yea, I have to give God jubilation praises because instead of allowing me to jump off the cliff, He allowed me to look over and wave at my enemies. Instead of allowing me to be jealous over other folk’s blessings, He allowed me to join in their praise and instead of letting the judgment of others get me down, He used them as a jack to lift me up higher.

Oh, when I sit and think about the street I could be sleeping on, the cancer that could have taken me out, the bullet that could have passed through my flesh, the hospital my daughter could be in, the prison my son could be in, the grave that could be holding my husband’s body or the headstone that could read my name; I rejoice. When you think about all the chemo and surgeries you’ve made it through, all the times you had to beg for rides and now you’re riding in your new car, when you come home to a loving spouse instead of the one who used to treat you like dirt, when you leave the house a little late and pass the car wreck that should have been you, when your name wasn’t called to receive a pink slip when your other co-workers weren’t so lucky, when you walk past the alleys and see the folks strung out on drugs, when you visit the hospital and it could have been you or your child or when you drive under an overpass and see the folks sleeping outside and you know that God is surely keeping you; do you offer him jubilation praises? Baby, God doesn’t need praise when the sun is shining but He wants to see you dancing in the rain when the storm is raging. He doesn’t need you screaming His name when you’ve been pushed down in the pits and valleys but He wants to hear His name in rejoicing when you’ve made it to the top of the mountain. Offer God jubilation praises every chance you get because it may be your last time!