Joy in the Psalms Part II (11/25)
Psalm 66 commands “Shout with joy to God all the earth! Sing the glory of his name, make his praise glorious.”
Psalm 71 has this beautiful verse, “I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness O God, I will sing praise to you with the lyre. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise unto you.” (22,23)
The Psalmist writes to the director of music in Psalm 81, “Sing for joy to God our strength, shout aloud to the God of Jacob! Begin the music, strike the tambourine, play the melodious harp and lyre.”
The Psalmist finds joy in Psalm 92, “It is good to praise the Lord… for you make me glad by your deeds O Lord, I sing for joy at the work of your hands.”
Creation itself is often seen praising the Lord as in Psalm 96, “Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad… then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy”. Wow, imagine trees singing!
Of course, the premier Psalm about worship, the 100th, exhorts us to “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness, come before his presence with joyful songs.”
We see a glimpse of Jesus, the Lord’s “right hand” in Psalm 118; “Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous; The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things.” (The Lord’s right hand is a symbol of Jesus.)
An entire Psalm is devoted to the Word of God, Psalm 119. Among many other things it says, “Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.” (111) Someday we will have a greater appreciation for all the Lord’s commandments!
We should all have enthusiasm for worship with the Lord’s people. Psalm 122 reflects David’s joy: “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’”
One more glimpse of joy is found in Psalm 132. The writer rejoices in the presence of the Ark of the Covenant in Jerusalem which was also known as the Lord’s footstool on earth. “Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool—arise, O Lord, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might… I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints will ever sing for joy.” (7,16) There is joy in the Lord’s presence.
Here are the words of a song I wrote a few years ago from this Psalm (132):
There once was an ark, the Ark of the Covenant
Where the Sovereign Lord, dwelt in Israel’s tent
Today the Lord sits enthroned on his people
As we give praise and thanks, we are His instrument…
To bring glory down from heaven as His presence fills our hearts
For the Lord has chosen Zion as his resting place forever.
We are His holy temple, His glory lives in us
He lives in us by His Spirit through the blood of Jesus!
Lord, thank you that today your dwelling place is in the hearts of your people. We are your holy temple, your glory lives in us. Thank you for your Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives and in the assembly of the believers.
We thank you for joy that wells up within us, especially when we read these Psalms and the rest of your Word. The whole creation longs to praise you. Thank you for your faithfulness. Lord, remove from us the sense that worship is a duty and let us be filled with joy as we come joyfully into your presence. You are worthy of all our praise and You are the one who makes our praise glorious!