Spinning Around

Spinning Around with Joy in a Circle Devotional

This devotional looks at one form of the word rejoice used in the Bible which is about spinning around with joy in a circle.  Advent is a time for us to prepare our hearts and minds which is more than just ignoring the mundane word but instead waiting in excitement or rejoicing with trembling awe!

THOUGHT: 

I am currently a part of a Bible Study class that leans heavily on the etymology of words. The scriptures are explained through the dissection of particular words, specifically in their original form in Hebrew, or Greek, or Aramaic. It is so intriguing to discover that a word that we think we know the meaning of changes drastically when rooted up from the origins of the word. One of those words is “REJOICE.” 

In Hebrew, there are sixteen words that represent some form or shape of “Rejoice.”  Narrowing it down a bit, in Psalms 2:11, the word used for “rejoice” is “GIL”. This form, Gil, means to “spin around in a circle.”  David refers to “rejoice with trembling.”  That particular form, gil, means that the person is so joyous or so happy or even giddy with the love of God, that they cannot contain it! They want to spin around in joy!

Imagine a seven-year-old stepping through the gates of the Magic Kingdom at Disney World. He cannot contain the joy he feels to be in this magical place. The only way to express this joy is to spin around with arms thrust upwardly out, face to the sky, and his feet twirling round and round until he realizes that the joy will only really begin when he gets on one of the rides. Visually, he even has difficulty taking in all the colors and shapes of this long-dreamed-of place. It is not only until he is still, that he can see clearly again. Or, how about a little girl who has longed for a puppy of her very own. She is taken to an animal shelter and placed on the soft grass amidst an entire litter of soft and cuddly puppies! After the excited attack of kisses and hugs, she lifts up her favorite, and possibly to the chagrin of the puppy, spins around with fervor, hugging her amazing new friend and the love of her life! It doesn’t get better than that, does it? Or how about a child growing up in the city, with concrete surrounding him, and the oppressive heat and polluted air heaving upon his little body? Then, through Gods’ Providence, he travels to the ocean for the first time. He races to the edge of the water, and twirls around on the sand, face upward, drinking in the sunlight and the light breeze that tickles the crests of the waves! That is pure REJOICING, pure “gil.”

That is what might have been for David. David had his tough times, that is certain. We have read the psalms of confession, anger, and confusion, to be sure. Yet, he also had times of GIL. His love for his God burst forth in poetry and song. He used this form of rejoice in order to fully explain what his soul and spirit was feeling. If he could have contained these feelings in a physical body, he would have been spinning around like a small child. He would likely have been looking upwards to his God, praising Him, and relishing the beauty of his joy.

Advent brings that time of rejoicing, that gil. We are Gods’ children, and we are looking forward to the time when we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. When we light the candles, the light exudes a brightness or clarity of joy. We rejoice in the anticipation of Christmas. We rejoice, we gil, the miraculous event that will change the world forever. We feel true and unadulterated joy at the prospect of Christmas morning. Not for the presents wrapped up in pretty paper, but the one true gift of a little baby who would save His people from sin and promises eternal life. I suspect that on that perfect day, as the angels rejoiced, that their gil could not be contained? Likely, the heavens were full of gil, or rejoicing, with angelic song and beauty.

PRAYER:

I rejoice God in your love! My spirit sings and spins around and around. Do not hinder me. Father God, help me to demonstrate the joy of Jesus Christ. Help me to help others to spin around amidst the joy of Christmas. Help me to focus my joy on the true story of Christmas and not the worldly things that I think make me happy. Help me to know that pure gil, pure rejoicing is in helping others to know about the tiny Baby, named Jesus.

AMEN.

We hope you enjoyed our devotional on Spinning Around with Joy during this season of Advent.  Keep Spinning Around with Joy!