"Learned" To Gladden Yourself

Isaiah 50:4

The Lord GOD hath given me the TONGUE OF THE LEARNED, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.

In the Hebrew, the word translated “learned” means being instructed in something to the point of being ACCUSTOMED to it; to be disciplined. This verse is referring to our tongue becoming accustomed to speaking as the Spirit directs it; having our tongue trained and disciplined by the Spirt within us to speak only those things that edify our own spirits as well as what is edifying to others.

To be accustomed to something means to be practiced in it to the point of being acclimated to it. In other words, doing it becomes a habit with us.

When you are accustomed to a spiritual truth, you have worked it into your life. You have practiced it until you got used to it. Doing the Word becomes a lifestyle with you. You don’t just know that truth mentally or second hand--you know it experientially.

If you’re accustomed to something, you’re used to it. You don’t even think about what you’re doing anymore.

Let me give you some illustrations in the natural of what I’m talking about. When we first moved to Iowa to pastor the church we now pastor, it took me three winters to become acclimated to the cold weather here. However, now that I’m acclimated, I seldom wear a coat outside in 20° weather if I’m only outside for a few minutes. Other people from warmer climates wonder how I can do that, but it’s because I’ve been acclimated to it. They can’t do what I can because they haven’t been acclimated to what I’ve been acclimated to.

If you have become acclimated to something, you have been accustomed to it; it has become normal to you. In fact, you think of folks who aren’t acclimated to what you are as unusual.

City dwellers have become accustomed to loud traffic noise. They have adapted to that environment so much so that they can sleep right through it at night. You take them out in the country where it’s quiet, and they won’t be able to sleep.

A person can be accustomed to getting up early, getting to their destination 10 minutes early, etc. You get my point.

I once heard a parent who was training their child to not talk back say, “I’m gonna ‘learn ya’ to not talk back to me!” What was that parent saying? He was saying he was going to be diligent and unwavering in training his child until he worked a new habit into that child.

That’s what Isaiah 50:4 is talking about. When it comes to spiritual things, God wants to “learn ya!” He wants to “learn ya” to talk faith; “learn ya” not to take offense; “learn ya” to express joy in hardship; “learn ya” not to worry; “learn ya” to trust and follow the inner witness--to follow what you know inside; “learn ya” to be a giver and to receive your harvest!

And, He wants to “learn” your tongue to count it all joy when you encounter various trials in life. Yes, a “learned” tongue as mentioned in Isaiah 50:4 would include a tongue that only speaks in the love of God--never in bitterness, offense or unforgiveness. But, there are other spiritual habits, such as rejoicing in the Lord, that we are to develop when it comes to the tongue.

Allowing the Spirit within us to train us in spiritual things is what the Bible means in I John 2:27 when it says the anointing teaches us.

I John 2:27

But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as THE SAME ANOINTING TEACHETH YOU of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

The anointing teaches you--that means the anointing will “learn ya!” And, the Holy Spirit will “learn” your tongue as well if you will allow Him to do so.

One area of the tongue being trained of the Spirit includes becoming accustomed to constantly rejoicing in the Lord. I mean developing the lifestyle of continually uttering praise and thanksgiving to God as a means of gladdening yourself in the Lord.

Notice the habit the Word says the Spirit will “learn” us as believers to develop along this line. In the Epistles, we are told to, “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4); “Offer the sacrifice of praise to God CONTINUALLY” (Hebrews 13:15); “In every thing give thanks (I Thessalonians 5:18); “Rejoice evermore” (I Thessalonians 5:16), etc!

These verses refer to a habit of the tongue we are to become accustomed to as a means of keeping ourselves spiritually edified and full of the Spirit.

Notice Philippians 4:4 in the Amplified Classic Version.

Philippians 4:4 (AMPC)

Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, GLADDEN YOURSELVES IN HIM]; again I say, Rejoice!

In seasons of trial, we are not to wait for circumstances to improve to be gladdened. If you’ll listen to the Holy Spirit who is the Teacher inside of you, He will train you to gladden yourself—even in seasons of trial or when depression seeks to make you heavy. The Spirit will prompt you to praise and rejoice and edify your own self by speaking divinely inspired utterances in praise and worship to God as found in Ephesians 5:18-20.

Ephesians 5:18-20

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is the school of the tongue the Spirit wants you to go to—the school of speaking in divinely inspired utterances under the anointing of the Spirit. He wants you to learn to gladden YOURSELF in the Lord by rejoicing in the “in Christ” truths of the New Testament.

You turn your attention to what the Word says about you and rejoice that it is true NOW! You’re authorized to forget all the IN YOU, IN YOURSELF...IN THE NATURAL facts of your life and get absorbed in the IN HIM truths and gladden yourself about those truths.

What are you doing when you do that? You are making His Word the source of your joy when there is no joy in any of your circumstances. And since the joy of the Lord is your strength, this is also how you strengthen yourself in the Lord--how you draw your strength from Him.

Notice Philippians 4:4 doesn’t say we are to wait for God to gladden us. Nor does it say we have to wait until Sunday morning when the worship team down at the church will gladden us.

In other words, God’s best is not for us to depend on other people’s faith to come along and gladden us. That can be a blessing, but to develop the habit of depending on others to do so can also hinder your faith. No, this verse shows us that God's best is that we develop spiritually in faith where we gladden ourselves in the Lord!

Let the Spirit “learn ya” to use your tongue to encourage yourself IN THE LORD like David did.

I Samuel 30:6

And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: BUT DAVID ENCOURAGED HIMSELF IN THE LORD his God.

 It doesn’t say that God encouraged David; it says that David encouraged himself. Encouraging yourself is not something God does for you. It’s something you do for yourself.

Psalms 42:5

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

In this verse David is talking to himself, especially to his soul and emotions. You can do that as well. Talk to yourself about the IN HIM realities you know in the New Testament Epistles! Rejoice in the truth He gave you in His Word. God's plan for New Testament believers is that they learn to stir up the things of God that are in them in Christ.

II Timothy 1:6

Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.

How do we do that? From the context, we do it because of our faith.

II Timothy 1:5-6

When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee... I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee...

In other words, Paul told Timothy to stir up what was in his spirit because of the faith that he had. So, how do you gladden yourself? You start talking your faith. You unhook your tongue from your feelings and hook it up to the faith of God in your spirit. You stir up the truths of the Word of God in your spirit by speaking them.

In other words, your tongue is the stir stick that you use to stir all the rich treasures in you through Christ (II Corinthians 4:7). These spiritual truths of God’s Word come alive and active through acknowledging them.

As you develop this lifestyle of stirring yourself up and gladdening yourself in the Lord, you’ll find life will be one continual feast of the blessings of God.

Proverbs 15:15 (AMPC)

All the days of the desponding and afflicted are made evil [by anxious thoughts and forebodings], but he who has a GLAD heart has a CONTINUAL FEAST [regardless of circumstances].