A few days ago we attended a talk by an American who has lived with his family in a third-world country for the past 13 years. He remarked that if they had allowed it, the corruption, theft, and poverty there would have torn them down. But they had an anecdote. I thought about all the hard things everyone faces whether in this country or overseas. The ways he coped can work for us, too. He talked about hope. Our hope is in God. And because we hope in God, we can be joyful. He and his family sang happy songs that reflected hopeful hearts. It was a real lift to hear their happy music and see their smiles. One of my favorite songs they sang was taken from Psalm 100 so I went home and looked it up. Here are my take-aways from that psalm:
If you need a lift, try singing joyful, happy songs to the Lord. It will make you and him happy.
If you don’t feel like singing happy songs, spend time thanking God.
If you’re feeling down, gladly acknowledge who the Lord is. He is God above all and he made us. Then acknowledge who we are. We are his. And we’re dependent sheep in his pasture of provision.
If you’re feeling at a dead-end, go into his abode by giving him thanks and praising him.
If you’re feeling discouraged, remember that the Lord is truly good and unendingly loving and faithful.
Psalm 100
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
Gladness and joy can seem far away when we face threats. When King Hezekiah of Israel faced a powerful enemy who threatened to destroy his country, he took the problem to God. He acknowledged that God was in charge of the whole earth. He honored God as Creator and threw himself and his people on God for rescue. Acknowledging who God is is a form of praise. Even in such a dire circumstance as being surrounded by an enemy army, putting God in his proper place of honor in our thinking brings perspective. It also moves God to answer.
“This message is for King Hezekiah of Judah. Don’t let your God, in whom you trust, deceive you with promises that Jerusalem will not be captured by the king of Assyria. You know perfectly well what the kings of Assyria have done wherever they have gone. They have completely destroyed everyone who stood in their way! Why should you be any different? Have the gods of other nations rescued them?
After Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it, he went up to the Lord’s Temple and spread it out before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed this prayer before the Lord: “O Lord, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. Bend down, O Lord, and listen! Open your eyes, O Lord, and see! Listen to Sennacherib’s words of defiance against the living God.
“It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations. And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all—only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands. Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O Lord, are God.” 2 Kings 19:10-12, 14-19
I appreciate that the Lord loves us to come to him and express our emotions. It’s fine with him if we come to talk to him with sad hearts. We can worship him- acknowledge who he is- with tears on our faces. David said in Psalm 102 that he calls to God in his distress. God can handle our anger, too. He desires honesty and listens patiently to our complaints. And he loves us to come to him with happy hearts. Whatever our frame of mind, remembering who he is and what he does for us brings us peace and joy and honors him. We don’t deny our difficulties; we just compare them to our big God and get perspective.
“Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me. At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music.” Psalm 27:6. It isn’t drudgery or just another duty to go to church. We gladly take time to honor God no matter what our circumstances or emotional state. And giving thanks as a group multiplies the benefits.
“I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord.. . To give thanks to the name of the Lord.” Psalm 122:1,4
What can we offer to God? Our thanks when things are tough and when things are great.
“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise” Hebrews 13:15
Try thanking God for the good things he’s given you. Then try thanking God for who he is. (It’s because he’s the kind of God he is that we have any good thing in this life or the one to come!)
Still feeling sad? Try joining others in thanking God with singing.
“Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.” Colossians 3:16
“speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Ephesians 5:20
Acknowledging who God is honors him and gives us hope, peace and joy. We can express our praise in prayer, in singing, and telling others what God has done for us. We’ll be happier if we do!