A Song of Praise!
Psalm 100
A psalm. For giving grateful praise.
1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Yesterday morning my brother let us know on What’s App he started his day biking a scenic path to a lake near his home.
I answered back, saying I had just read Psalm 100 on the front porch with birds singing, and my heart singing right along.
How did your Sunday start?
Did you make a joyful noise to the LORD either before, during, or after church?
I hope that is the case for you too.
My husband and I shared how going to God’s house, or commonly referred to as “church,” brings so much delight. Being in fellowship with fellow church members also brings contentment to the heart, or at least it should.
Naturally, we have our days when we wake up tired from the day before, or the conversations don’t satisfy our hearts on a Sunday, but then we need to check our hearts to see if we have a wrong attitude going in.
On the whole, Sunday is a day of delight for us. Add to the worship and conversation, a positive visit with one of our children, their spouse (also our child) and a couple of beautiful grandchildren. It made our day completely satisfactory. Contentment in the LORD first, and in fellowship with God’s people next.
We heard a sermon on Psalm 51, which, not coincidentally, we have been reading in a devotional at home. Each of us needs to consistently check our hearts for sin. A sermon on prayer followed this. How timely.
We all know the daily news does not bring much joy. Add to that the internet’s exposition of news happenings around the world, and you read every story you did not want to know about. Some things are better left unsaid. Selah.
Isn’t it comforting then to renew our minds in the word and world of God?
As we focus on our LORD the things of this earth will grow strangely dim.
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.” These words come from the classic 1922 Christian hymn “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” by Helen Howarth Lemmel.
The key to finding joy and delight then is to focus on Christ, let earthly worries fade, and to find peace in the light of Christ even in dark times.
Sundays help us shift our focus to the things of God.
We all need to learn to serve the LORD with gladness, even in the middle of heartache, gross news stories, and all the rest.
God is good, and He is worthy of our adoration and praise. Let’s keep our eyes on the light of life!
Will you make a joyful shout with me this morning to the God of our hearts and lives?
Let’s go!