Gladness: December 26, 2012

TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 26, 2012

GLADNESS

DEFINITION:

The feeling of joy or pleasure.

SCRIPTURE:

Serve the Lord with gladness. Psalm 100:2.

You have put gladness in my heart. Psalm 4:7.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Those who serve the Lord with a sad face, because for some reason they are unhappy about something, really are not serving Him at all. These types of people bring to the spiritual table a form of bowing down to God and seemingly worshipping Him, but their words and deeds do not show a love for their Lord in their everyday living with true gladness and service.

Our God is a God of love and He wants no slaves to grace His throne. In God's sight a slave is one who serves God because he or she feels they must and not because he or she has given his or her heart to the Lord and desires to serve Him. Thus, there is no true gladness experienced in their heart each day. These types of people will continually show sadness on their face because they are carrying the heavy burden of reluctant obedience. God has His servants dressed in joy and gladness not with sadness. The angels serve Him with joy not with groans. A murmur or a sigh would be a mutiny in the ranks of the angels. The Lord looks at the heart and He can see that obedience that is forced and not voluntary is really disobedience.

Our service to God coupled with gladness and cheerfulness is true heart service and is what God wants from us. Cheerfulness and gladness is the support God gives us for our faith in the Lord. In the joy of the Lord we are strong. The joy of the Lord in our lives acts as a remover of difficulties. It is like what oil is to the wheels of a railroad car. Without oil the axle gets hot and accidents occur. We need the gladness and cheerfulness of the Lord in our lives. These act to oil our wheels. The man who is cheerful in his service to God shows the people of the world, non-believers, that it is a delight and joy to serve the Lord our God.

Gladness in serving the Lord is what the people of Judah experienced when Hezekiah became King and reopened the temple in Jerusalem for worship. His father Ahaz had shut the temple doors and led the people of Judah into idol worship. In the first month of his reign King Hezekiah opened and repaired the temple doors and brought back the priests to consecrate and purify the temple. When the temple was ready the people came and the “whole assembly bowed in worship. They sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshipped.” II Chronicles 29: 28-30.

We encourage you to worship and serve the Lord with gladness. When you attend church and see someone who seems sad and is missing the gladness of worshipping the Lord, take a moment to pray for them and ask God to give that person a heart of joy and gladness. When you pray for someone, God may give you opportunity to say a word of encouragement to them.

You will often find out as you talk to people the heavy burdens they are carrying. When you show you care, you will experience gladness in serving the Lord.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Luke 2:14.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.

PRAYER:

Fill my heart today with gladness that You alone can give. May others see me as one who serves Jesus with gladness.