Real Joy in Tough Times: Joy’s Friends
Psalm 100:1
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the Lord Himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His court with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations (Psalm 100).
If you haven’t ever read through the book of Psalms, I encourage you today to begin doing so. I encourage you to read 3-5 chapters in the Book of Psalms daily. You will find hope, encouragement, truth, and inspiration about real-life issues. The Book of Psalms has always encouraged me and I suspect it will encourage you also. Every chapter in the Book of Psalms is filled with challenges for your daily life. As you read through the Psalms, you may recognize some well-known passages. I suspect Psalm 1, Psalm 23, Psalm 51, and Psalm 139 are among the most recognizable Psalms.
And of course, Psalm 100 would make the top ten!
There is an inscription at the beginning of Psalm 100 that hints at the content of this Psalm. The Bible says, “A Psalm of Thanksgiving” and when you read this Psalm carefully you see that the thanksgiving theme is a significant part of this Psalm. But thanksgiving is not the only theme; I believe joy is another significant theme of this Psalm.
Psalm 100 begins with this phrase, “Shout joyfully to the LORD” and the remaining of this Psalm is a declaration of the greatness of God and the praise He deserves. But for today’s purposes, there is something I want you to notice about this Psalm. While the Psalm begins with joy, that is not all it contains. When you read this Psalm, you cannot help but notice that joy has some friends, some companions that accompany it in the life of a Christ follower.
A good question for us to ask is not only “Is joy present in my daily life?” but also “Are joy’s friends and companions present as well?” Consider with me some of the friends and companions of joy.
Service
Psalm 100:2 says, “Serve the LORD with gladness.” The Psalmist not only calls us to shout for joy but also calls us to serve and, notice this, serve gladly. Joy is a priority in the life of a follower of Christ but so is service. Joy and service go together. We serve, not grudgingly, but from the overflow of a joyful heart. How do you serve? Who do you serve? And are you serving from joy?
Singing
Verse 2 says “Come before His presence with singing.” Singing accompanies joy in the life of a believer. I love all kinds of Christian music. I love old hymns and new worship songs. And while I don’t have much of a voice, I am grateful that is not a prerequisite for singing unto the Lord from a joyful heart.
Learning
Verse 3 begins with the word “know.” We are to know God. Becoming a Christian is only the beginning of a life of learning God and knowing God, and the best way to know God is to get into His Word. The more you read God’s Word, the Bible, the more you know Him. Joy will flood your heart and mind through knowing God.
Thanksgiving and Praise
“Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His court with praise” (Psalm 100:4) Thanksgiving and praise are inseparable in the life of a believer. So let’s just ask ourselves some questions. First, do your words and actions show a heart of thanksgiving and gratitude? Do your words and actions demonstrate a life of praise? Are thanksgiving, and praise flowing from your heart of joy? When the joy of the Lord fills your heart and mind your actions will reflect gratitude and worship.
The Reason For Joy
As we come to the end of this Psalm the Psalmist gives us the reason for joy, service, singing, learning, thanksgiving, and praise. The reason is the character of our God. He is good. He is kind and He is faithful!
For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100:5
If you are struggling with demonstrating joy and her friends in your life, take a few minutes to meditate on the goodness, kindness, and faithfulness of God. And when you do, you will find yourself shouting and singing for joy!