April 21th, 2025
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.
One of the best feelings in the world is when a person first starts dating someone they’ve had a crush on for a long time. Maybe you’ve experienced this feeling before; I can certainly attest that it's an amazing feeling. My wife and I first began dating during my early high school years, and I can tell you, I was on cloud nine when we first started talking! I’d get butterflies in my stomach whenever I saw her, my heart would beat out my chest just at the thought of being with her, and whenever there was an opportunity to hang out with each other, we made sure that we made it happen. During those times, the joy I felt was indescribable; I would even smile at just the thought of her. Nothing could bring me down, because of the joy I found in our relationship. I believe this type of joy, but to even greater heights and depths, is the recipe for having joy in our lives, ultimately finding it in our relationship with God.
We’ve been exploring various emotions through the Psalms this month, and of all the emotions we’ve discussed so far, Joy is probably the one you want the most, but may struggle to find or maintain at times. Joy is an integral part of a believer's life. It’s a unique emotion and state of being that God has given us to experience the goodness of His world and Himself in more profound ways. Joy ought to characterize the life of a Christian, as it is part of the evidence of the Holy Spirit in our lives (Gal 5:22-23). However, sometimes experiencing Joy is easier said than done. Not every day is good. Sometimes, days are awful and can cause us to feel sad, anxious, angry, and downright joyless. However, the recipe the scriptures and the Psalms lay out for how we can exude joy in our lives isn’t dependent on the state of our circumstances. Christian joy finds its root in the unchanging God of the Bible.
Psalm 95-100 are a collection of Psalms that call readers to worship, rejoice, and find joy in God. The reasons for finding joy in God are numerous in these verses. Here’s a summary:
Psalm 95: The Lord is great and above all gods, he controls everything
Psalm 96: God is Holy, He Reigns, He will Judge
Psalm 97: God reigns over everything and cares for the righteous; we should praise him
Psalm 98: God will judge the earth in all fairness and justice
Psalm 99: God is holy
All these reasons culminate in our Psalm for today, Psalm 100, which essentially summarizes the reason believers should have joy in two points:
God is God (Ps 100:3)
God is our Shepherd (100:5)
God is God
Since God is indeed God, this means he is the creator of the universe. He reigns over everything and is in total control. He is holy and good, righteous and just, and He will correct all wrongs. Not only this, but he has also made us and given us the gift of life. We serve a good and great God, and this ought to provide us with joy! Not only this, though, God is also our shepherd
God is our Shepherd
God is not a distant God, but a loving God who is personally involved in the lives of His people. He is with us, guiding us. His love and faithfulness towards us are everlasting, so much so that he forgives us when we repent for wronging him, and he ultimately sent his Son on the cross for our salvation.
Although life may not always give us reasons to be joyful, thanks to the consistent nature and character of God, we can always find joy in knowing who God is. This truth should drive us to praise and thanksgiving!
Even as we come off Easter Sunday, we are reminded of the greatest joy we have in Christ: we are forgiven, redeemed, and He lives! Let the thought of God’s reign and love drive you to joy today!
Challenge For This Week
Write a list of ten things you are thankful to God for. They say a prayer of thanks for the list of things you wrote down. If you need help, use Psalm 136 as a prayer toward the Lord.
Song for the Day:
Listen to "The Joy - The Belonging Co"