JOY AND HAPPINESS CAN BE FOUND IN SERVING THE LORD!

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs”
(Psalm 100:2)

MEDITATION:
There should be joy in every act of obedience by Christians,
including worship and service. We are not called to serve with
the fear of a slave, and not as a matter of obligation, or force.
We are not called to serve with any reluctance, or gloominess.

We are called to serve from a cheerful and happy heart. Serving
the Lord should create joy in the souls of those who belong to Him.
We should experience one of the greatest joys known to man when
we serve the Lord. It is a type of happiness in the soul of man that
the pleasures of the world can never duplicate.

When we experience happiness in our hearts and souls, we have
a natural tendency to sing praises to the Provider of our joy. The
quality of our voices doesn’t matter, it’s the joy in our heart that
we are communicating through our songs of praise.

We all have the privilege of being happy in our worship of the
Lord. He is the One who can remove human misery and make
mankind happy. When we sing to Him, it is an expression of
the joy in our hearts.

How many times have you heard birds chirping away, even when
it is pouring down rain? Could it be that their chirps are songs of
joy to the Lord? Do they have a joy that some of us are missing
out on?

ACTION:
Do you experience the joy of worship, or do you just endure the
worship service so you can get back to enjoying your personal
pleasures?

There are at least two essentials
that allow us to serve Him with gladness:
    1. Reconciling to God through faith in Christ. It means
        we are so grateful for His mercy that we have a desire
        to express our appreciation by answering His call to serve.

    2. The love of God is our motivation for serving Him.
             For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor
             uncircumcision has any value. The only thing
             that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
             (Galatians 5:6)

God may call us to serve in many different areas. Some are called to
serve in prominent, visible areas, but some are also called to serve in
‘behind the scenes’, less visible, areas. What we need to realize is, if we
are too big to serve God in little ways, then we are too small to serve
Him in big ways.

We need to humbly accept and embrace whatever way He wants us
to serve Him, and then ‘get busy’ serving Him with gladness. There
are many reasons why we should serve the Lord with gladness.
Here are a few:
1. Because we are indebted to God.
        Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his
        holy name. Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all
        his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your
        diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns
        you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires
        with good things so that your youth is renewed like the
        eagle’s. (Psalms 103:1-5)

        Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
        who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every
        spiritual blessing in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)

2. Because the worship service itself is holy and “joy-inspiring”
     in its nature. It is a time of being in harmony with God that
     should continue in our lives after the service has ended.

3. Because God loves a cheerful giver (songs, tithes, service). We
     cannot expect to have gladness if we serve Him grudgingly.

4. Because it is an outward expression of our new nature
     (desires, attitudes, habits, etc.) as children of God.

5. Because we are friends with the Lord. We serve Him not
     as an obligation, but as an expression of friendship.
         I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not
         know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you
         friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I
         have made known to you. (John 15:15)

6. Because we want to hear the Lord say to us,
     “Well done, good and faithful servant”.
         “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!
           You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in
           charge of many things. Come and share your master’s
           happiness!’
           (Matthew 25:23)

7. Because serving the Lord enhances our relationships with
     others.
        Instead of being selfish, suspicious and cynical of others,
        we choose to be more caring and understanding. For instance,
        someone might make a comment that sounds offensive to us,
        but instead of thinking their statement was uncalled for, we
        will be more inclined to think about what they might be dealing
        with in their lives at the time. Maybe they are stressed in their
        job, or they could have a wayward child and are not sure what
        to do or say to encourage them to choose a different direction
        for their lives, or they could be witnessing on a daiy basis the
        health deterioration of a loved one. We could list many other
        examples which indicate a sincere need of someone for the love
        and encouragement from others (us). Rather than thinking the
        worst of them for their comments, we will look for ways to
        lift their spirits through our expressions of encouragement
        and love.
            Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united
            with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing
            in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy
            complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in
            spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain
            conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not
            looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of
            others.
(Philippians 2:1-4)

8. Because it is a command from God.
        Fear the LORD your God, serve him
        only and take your oaths in his name.
        (Deuteronomy 6:13)

        Jesus answered, “It is written: Worship
        the Lord your God and serve him only.”
        (Luke 4:8)

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, teach me how to enjoy a greater joy
and happiness in my relationship with You. Help me to
change any wrong attitudes I have about serving You
and attending Your house of worship. Give me a joy
that spills into every facet of my life so others will have
no doubt that my faith is genuine. Remind me that my
happiness in serving You is one way I can be a witness
to others. Show me the spiritual gift You have given me
and teach me how to joyfully use it in serving You!”

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