Joy, Happiness And Gladness Are Tagging Along.

Psalm 100: 1-3 says, "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture."  The Message Translation says, "On your feet now - applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence. Know this: God is God, and God, He made us; we didn't make him. We're his people, his well-tended sheep"

The Merriam Webster define applaud as follows:  to declare enthusiastic approval of  or acclaim (public acknowledgment or admiration for an achievement).  Having a day where things seems to be going every except how you think they should?  Don't just sit there and think..."yeah, God knows what He is doing.  It will all work out somehow (sigh)".  Get on your feet...maybe not in the middle of the office but go take a break and get by yourself and really declare with enthusiastic approval that ALL things work together for good and that with God ALL things are possible and no matter how crummy the seems to be going, He WILL see you thru and guide you if you only ask.  When one approves of something, they back it up, they agree with it and they are satisfied with it.  When you begin to think of ALL that He has done in each of our lives it is easy to begin to get enthusiastic about Him.

The King James Version says to "serve the Lord with gladness".  When a servant serves their master, they are not only obedient, but if the master asks for something they bring it.  Bringing the gift of laughter...when one begins to laugh it makes one feel glad and happy. We need to bring gladness with us while we serve Him and do His will.  Gladness is a feeling or state of happiness, joy and cheerfulness.  Proverbs 15:13 says that a "merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance  Merry meaning joyful or glad.  Happiness is a choice that sometimes take an little extra effort.  But, the rewards are worth it.

Sing yourself into His presence.  Have you ever been in the midst of trying day and then a praise song came to your mind.  The more you dwell on that song the more like that you will end of humming it.  Then before long you are singing it.  Eventually it will change you whole outlook on that day...all because of a little song.  There is something so comforting about singing praises to Him.  When you begin to sing those praises, you enter into His presence and peace floods over your soul.  You don't have to be alone or off in your "closet of prayer".  You can be sitting at your desk at work typing a letter for the boss.  And, when your thoughts turn toward Him, His presence rushes in.  Try it sometime, you never now what a difference it will make in those around you when they begin to feel His presence too.

No matter what you face, know this that GOD is GOD.  All things are possible with Him.  He holds the whole world in the palm of His hands.  He took the care and time to form us in our mother's womb.  We are hand-crafted by Him.  Tailor made for a special purpose.  Oh, we may try to make something of ourselves in our own way.  But, He has a special purpose for each of our lives.  Let Him continue to mold you and make into a beautiful vessel used for His glory. 

We are His people...His well-tended sheep.  A good shepherd will take care of his sheep to make sure that they are feed, groomed, sheltered during the storms and safe at all times.   He is the one who accompanies us to protect and guide us.  He is the one who makes sure we are shelter during the storms in our life.  He is the one who makes sure that we have food on our tables.  He is the one who makes sure we have clothes on our back.  I remember one time when my husband didn't have a job and our children were toddlers.  Not one time during those weeks and months did we do without.  We always had home, food and clothes.  He provide a way where there seemed no way.  There is NO task to small or too big for Him.  The Lord knows them that are His and He will always take care of them.  Just as a shepherd take care of his sheep. 

Knowing all this, we should have no problem making a joyful noise unto Him.  For He has done many, many marvelous things for each of us.  And, someday we will not have to be satisfied with just saying a 'thank you prayer', we will be able to look at Him face to face and tell Him just how thankful we are for the many blessing He has bestowed upon us.  Just the thought of that excites me. 

To close out these thoughts, sing it loud with me:

What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see,
And I look upon His face,
The One who saved me by His grace;
When He takes me by the hand
And leads me through the Promised Land,
What a day, glorious day that will be.