Singing With An Attitude... Of Joy!

In his sermon on Psalm 100, Pastor Sam noted that the adjectives define the attitude with which we are to enter into worship. The psalm begins with the following directives:

v  Shout for joy;

v  Worship with gladness;

v  Come with joyful song;

v  Enter with thanksgiving and praise.

I wonder what our corporate worship would become if every person expressed joy, gladness, joyful song, thanksgiving, and praise in the presence of the LORD.

Interestingly, the psalm does not place any condition nor rider on this worship protocol. It does not toss in any disclaimers like, “Well, if you had a really rough day, if someone bumped into you on the subway, if you had to walk for an hour in the rain and mud, then it’s excusable to stand in the presence of the King of kings with a sour face.” No. We are called to express joy, even in the most trying of circumstances, when we worship our LORD. We are called to thank and praise Him.

Our God is the One who reigns above every inconvenience, every circumstance, and every tragedy. He can bring glory to Himself by forming our characters through crises. We may think we have nothing to rejoice about with regard to what we are suffering in life, but we have everything to rejoice about when we acknowledge who God is, what He says, and what He does.

The LORD is in our company. We are in His presence. Shout for joy!

Scripture references are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.