Psa 100:2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

Psalm 100 is perhaps the psalm that comes to our minds most often when we think about serving the LORD with gladness. The psalmist invites all the earth to enter into the courts of God’s house with joyful songs (vs 1) and to serve Him (vs 2). Let’s study this short but extremely powerful psalm and see how we can serve the Lord with gladness. 

Serve the LORD with gladness - He is our LORD, and therefore He is to be served: “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Matthew 4:10). 

The psalmist gives us the reasons why Jehovah is worthy of our worship and service:

1. Because He is God: "Know ye that the LORD he is God" (vs 3).

2. Because He is our Creator: “It is he that hath made us” (vs 3).

3. Because He is our Master: "We are his people” (vs 3).

4. Because He is our Shepherd: “…and the sheep of his pasture” (vs 3).

5. Because God is Good, eternally Merciful, and True: “For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations” (vs 5). 

The reason why many refuse to worship and serve Jehovah God is they do not know Him. They do not know He is the only true God, their Creator, Master, Shepherd and He is Good. But knowing who Jehovah is should cause us wanting to worship and serve Him. 

The psalmist also tells us how we show worship and serve our God.

1. With GLADNESS: “Serve the LORD with gladness” (vs 2). “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord,” (Colossians 3:23).

2. With JOY: “Come before his presence with singing” (vs 2). The Bible did not say that we must have an angelic voice to sing praises to God? It just says we must be joyful when we praise God (vs 1). It must be in spirit and with an understanding heart: “I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding” (1 Corinthian 14:15).

3. With THANKFULNESS: “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving…..be thankful unto him” (vs 4). Part of worship is giving thanks to God. We come before God remembering His goodness, mercies and blessing and are thankful for them.

4. With WORSHIP: “…and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name” (vs 4). To bless the Lord means to praise Him, exalt Him and worship Him: “Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty” (Psalm 104:1). Some come to church to do everything except worship? Yes, they forget to worship God. God seeks only for true worshippers, that is, those who come to church with the purpose to worship God: “True worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him” (John 4:23). 

Glad service is what God requires from us. The reluctant believers think worshipping God is boring and service to Him a burden. But to the ones who love God, worshipping and serving God are their delights and joy: “Here am I; send me” (Isaiah 6:8). 

Whether a tree is good or bad is known by its fruits (Matthew 12:33). Likewise, a true Christian is known by his “fruits” (John 15:2). Love is shown by its actions: “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). 

We show our love by serving “the LORD with gladness”. As we learn to honestly love God as we are loved by Him, we will “serve the LORD with gladness”. Are you serving the Lord? 

Jimmy Lau

Psa 119:97  Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.