Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing. Psalm 100:1-2
The Psalms are filled with amazing ranges of emotions. There are tears of sorrow, cries of anguish, expressions of anger – all places where we hurt or suffer. And there are psalms filled with thanksgiving for good gifts, rejoicing and good news, and celebrating life. In fact, Martin Luther once said that if he could only have one book of the Bible to read, he would choose the Psalms!
The verse above is an urging for anything and everything to make a joyful noise to the Lord. Underneath all of the highs and lows of life, the Bible proclaims a confidence that even in the midst of the hardest moments in life God is still working and to be trusted. A joyful noise is not just happy. Happiness is fleeting and situational. No, a joyful noise is confident that under all things (good or bad), God is at work and that we can be joyful in the moment – perhaps even underneath tears of sadness.
Our recent VBS focused on creation and our care for it. This Psalm, reminds us that God invites the whole creation (more than just people) to join in the joyful noise. Worship and singing and praise are called forth from everything.
This week, ask yourself, “Am I living a joy-filled life? Am I focused on offering up that joy to God? And am I inviting all the world to join in making a joyful noise to the Lord?”
