June 19 Daily Devotional

Serve the Lord with Gladness

the Rev. Henry Huenemann

Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing (Psalm 100:2).

Bible Reading

Psalm 100:

¹Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
²Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
³Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
⁴Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
⁵For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Devotional

The Lord's Day is a day of joy and gladness. On this day we are called to serve the Lord in a special manner. The service of the Lord produces joy. God is not a hard taskmaster. He himself makes his people willing and ready to serve him. "Thy people offer themselves willingly in the day of thy power." When God works in the hearts of his people by his Word and Spirit they surrender themselves completely unto him, and cheerfully obey his voice. It is not a forced service, but a willing service. It is not doing one's own will, nor obeying the commandments of men, but the will of God. And in doing the will of God, God's servants rejoice and sing. They have been delivered from the bondage of sin and the tyranny of Satan, and have experienced the saving grace of God. And now they wish others to share their joy with them. They exclaim with the psalmist, "O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord all the earth. Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day." And where God's grace is thus cheerfully magnified and his glory extolled, many will hear, and by the power of the Word will be delivered from the power of the devil; and, being delivered, will rejoice to serve God and sing his praises with all his people.

Prayer

O Lord, our God, help us to rejoice in Thee and in Thy salvation, and also in Thy service. May we by Thy mercies present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto Thee. As we are members one of another, help us to use our gifts readily and cheerfully for the advantage and welfare of the other members, that Thy name through us may not be blasphemed, but honored and praised on our account. We ask it in the name of him, who loved us, and gave himself for us. Amen.

Scripture in Devotional: Ps. 96:1, 2.

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