![]() The psalms teach us that no matter how dark our life circumstances are, there is joy to be found in the hope of an upward-focused heart in prayerful communion with God. The author of Hebrews says: “We have this (God’s character and promises) as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope.” Rather, God’s character and promises are unchanging and certain, a source of hope in the midst of the hardships of life. While positive emotions and positive life happenings are wonderful blessings from God, they are not the basis of joy. The joy of Christians is not based solely on changing emotions or on comfortable circumstances. And that remembrance leads to rejoicing, even if it is only a hushed and expectant flicker. Interestingly, all of these psalms, though they contain raw and painful emotions, have something in common: turning toward God and remembering his character and promises. God is present and can be talked with, in overwhelming times ( Psalm 88), in sorrow for sin ( Psalm 51), interpersonal conflict ( Psalm 41), depression ( Psalm 42), doubt ( Psalm 77), and more. Those who follow God can allow Him into all the circumstances of their lives, not only the happy ones. But a closer look at the many Psalms of lament (not to mention the often-sad conduct of many exemplars such as David and Jesus Himself) gives a more nuanced picture. Christians can sometimes wrongly perceive that the Bible instructs believers to be adamantly happy-clappy and always positive and cheery. Seeing the Messianic connections included in this prophetic reference helps to put all the psalmic praising in context. It is the recognition of God for who he is, what he has done, and what we are trusting him to do." Why Are Christians Called to Be Joyful? Worship is all that we are responding to all that he is. ![]() Moreover, worship is for “the whole earth.” All peoples are invited to join the celebration. You can’t worship the Lord without your emotions. People are to engage in it with a sense of excitement. Tony Evans puts it this way in his commentary: "Let the whole earth shout triumphantly to God! In the Bible, worship is not some sedate event. We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.Īnd his faithfulness to all generations. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Psalm 100 is brief and worth quoting in its entirety: Psalm 100 is the last of a grouping of eight psalms that share the phrase: “The LORD reigns.” This confident assertion addresses doubts and struggles that have been raised in other earlier psalms, and this truth makes thanksgiving possible ( ESV.org). It is in this category that Psalm 100 falls. And many, many psalms are centered around praise and thanksgiving. Some psalms celebrate God’s Law, some express confidence in His help, and some relate the history of God’s people. ![]() Royal psalms “relate to the Messiah” who was foreshadowed by King David. Wisdom psalms echo ideas from the other Wisdom books (Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon), and prophetic psalms are resonant with the messages of the prophets. Laments lift up hard things to God and ask for his intervention. There are several categories of psalms to fit every situation. In the Bible, the book of Psalms serves as “the songbook of God’s people.” ![]() There’s a song for every occasion, isn’t there? The right songs enhance any event, imprint memories more deeply into our minds, and make even everyday moments more special.
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