“To serve the Lord with gladness is a service motivated by a love that ‘gets to,’ out of gratitude to God, as opposed to a fear of the law that ‘has to’ in order to gain God’s good graces.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – November 14, 2022
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Psalm 100:1-2, NKJV
To serve the Lord with gladness is a service motivated by a love that “gets to,” out of gratitude to God, as opposed to a fear of the law that “has to” in order to gain God’s good graces. Pride and ego recoil from the idea of being a servant, yet Jesus oozed humility when He made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant in humble obedience. The Lord Jesus came to serve, not to be served. In like manner, grateful followers of Jesus gladly serve alongside the One who models the way with a humble heart. We serve the Lord when we serve like the Lord.
This stanza in Psalms is from a song of celebration and delight in the goodness of God. A joyful shout, even a joyful noise for the less musically gifted, is a sweet offering of praise and thanksgiving to our Savior Jesus. Serve: systematically, spontaneously, indiscriminately. Perhaps systematically as a church volunteer, spontaneously in daily encounters with random acts of kindness, and indiscriminately toward those poor souls’ that society shuns. A glad heart is energized and can’t wait to get to serve. As my grateful wife reminds me, “Who gets to do this?” We do!
“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation” (Psalm 95:1).
One way to make sure joy accompanies your service for Jesus is to remember to celebrate the Lord as the Rock of your salvation. The sandy foundation of your unbelieving days ever shifted under the weight of circumstances, always ambushing your joy with insecurity and fear. Now that your life is built on the solid rock of Christ, you can withstand fierce winds of trials and temptations. The Rock of your salvation is also a divine summit for you to peer from with eyes of faith. Elevated above the mental fog of fear, your eyes of love enjoy a clear view from God’s perspective. You gaze over a secure landscape that calms your heart with a peace that passes all understanding. Or…your attention may be riveted to a battle in the valley below, but you can rest that the battle is the Lord’s. You serve gladly as you continue to view life from above.
Make it a habit to practice the presence of God by singing words of praise and thanksgiving. Gladness grows in a heart that lifts up hymns of gratitude to the most generous giver-God Almighty. When you have a song in your heart, you experience a bounce in your step, ever intent on service for your King. Play worship music in the morning as you prepare for the day, listen to timeless tunes throughout the day and in the evening play songs that bid His delight. Your Creator inhabits the praises of His creation. Praise motivated service bears God’s fruit that remains for God. Gladly serve the Lord and you will send treasure ahead for heavenly rewards.
“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you” (Psalm 5:11).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, grow my heart of gratitude to serve you with energy that flows out of gladness, through Christ’s love and in Jesus’ name, amen.
Application
Name a fear that has you mentally and emotionally stuck, and replace it with loving service to someone else.
Related Reading
1 Samuel 12:24; Malachi 3:18; 1 Corinthians 15:58; Colossians 3:23-24
Worship Resource
Kenedi Anderson: Serve the Lord
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