The Place Of Joyfulness
Psalm 100
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.
Where is our place of joyfulness?
Where is our place of joyfulness? Is it a physical place? Can we structure our lives to include a physical place to be joyful? Is it our family dinner table when the family is gathered there? Is it a front porch swing where we enjoy the singing of the birds and the neighbors passing by? How about a quiet place in our home we go to pray and study the Word of God? While in any of these places joy can be found, they cannot produce it.
Joyfulness is a choice and a gift at the same time. The Lord brings us joy by being in our lives. When we reflect on who God is and what He has done in our lives, joy automatically shows up. Whether or not we receive that joy, participate and fully respond to it, is our choice. The Bible is filled with verses about joy, how to receive it and how it can be restored. It even declares that God inhabits our praises! Talk about a place of joy. The wonder of the Creator and Lord of all, living in our praises and also respecting our response to Him, should fill our hearts with joy. (Psalm 22:3) The prophet Nehemiah had a revelation of joy in a different way. In Nehemiah 8:10 he declares that “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” The thought of strength filling us through the joy of the Lord should resound in us like an anthem.
When we choose to be a joyful person, we also choose to share it with others. How can our joy not spill out on others? It is so contagious that just getting near a joyful person causes us to be lifted up. Let us choose the joyful places in life rather than bitterness and sorrow. Let us allow the Lord’s own joy be our strength. Father God, help us to start spreading joy everywhere we go. Ready? Let’s get going!