Worship Gleefully

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.
Psalm 100:1-2 (NIV)

Are you ready for a renewal of gladness and joy in your faith?   

Sometimes when you worship, God might need to check in to see if you are on autopilot and are just going through the motions. Perhaps you feel distracted, tired, or bored. But today’s verse challenges each one of us: worship should never be boring. 

Worship is so important to God that the first four of the Ten Commandments deal exclusively with your worship. Worship is so important for us that Jesus says the first and most important command is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. (See Matt. 22:37) Authentic worship is your first priority. 

Notice the first word used in this Psalm: shout. The word “shout” in the original language literally means to give a “sound that splits the ear.” The psalmist isn’t saying that you should actually yell or act crazy. God’s Word tells you that worship is meant to be full of energy, enthusiasm, and excitement. 

How do you behave when you watch your kids, grandkids, or your favorite team play in a sporting event? How much do you care about what is happening in that game? For many of us, we care a lot (possibly too much). 

You might dress in your team’s colors, tune in or purchase tickets to the game, and cheer loudly throughout. You are ecstatic if your team wins or disappointed if they lose. You get excited. You get expressive and emotional. How much more enthusiastic, then, will you be when you worship the God of the universe? 

The word “enthusiasm” is a combination of two primary words: “en” or inspired by, and “theos” which means “God”. Energetic worship comes from God working in you. And the remainder of Psalm 100 gives you reasons why you can worship gleefully: 

• You are always welcome and invited to come to God, no matter how you feel about yourself or your circumstances (v. 1)
• He gives you joy when you come before Him in praise (v. 1)
• God made you, which means you don’t have to worry about making yourself acceptable or impressive. (v. 3)
• You can know Him, He is never distant and will never withdraw from you. (v. 3)
• He is your attentive shepherd and you are ever under His care. (v. 3)
• He will always be good to you, faithful throughout your life and through all the generations that come after you (v. 5)

Take a moment to think about these great and precious promises. When you think about His promises to you, your heart will swell with gratitude and praise. You will worship with all your heart, soul, and mind.    

Let God work in you and you will worship with enthusiasm. Allow your worship to be an overflow of your heart of thanks. Let your gratitude be reflected in your countenance, expression, and song. Gladness and joy in God will feel like renewal in your faith.

Prayer: Dear God, You are worthy of all of my worship and praise. Please forgive me for the times that I just go through the motions of worship without truly engaging my heart. I remember how good You have been to me, ever-present and faithful. May the joy and gladness of knowing You be expressed in worship and praise. In Jesus’ name, amen.