Make a Joyful Noise

 

[The following is a manuscript of my brief devotional delivered on Sunday morning, the 30th of July, 2023, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This was our 5th Sunday Sing-Along service, and we also hosted a Gideon speaker.  A recording should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Hear the song of a psalmist whose name has long been forgotten, from the 100th Psalm as recorded in the English Standard Version of our Holy Bible…

1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!

2 Serve the Lord with gladness!

Come into His presence with singing!

3 Know that the Lord, He is God!

It is He who made us, and we are His;

we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving,

and His courts with praise!

Give thanks to Him; bless His name!

5 For the Lord is good;

His steadfast love endures forever,

and His faithfulness to all generations.

--Psalm 100 (ESV)

Family, for a church of our size, we are truly blessed with so much talent.  We have members with angelic voices, and those with great musical gifts on instruments.  Some are gifted in crafts, others in finances, others in teaching, and many excellent cooks.

The psalmist is talking about praising the Lord, and you’ll notice that he doesn’t say a word about employing any specific talent in doing so.  He tells us to make a joyful noise, to come into our Lord’s presence with singing, with thanksgiving, and with praise.

It doesn’t matter how good a voice we have, how much talent or what special gift we’ve been given.  All that matters is what is in our hearts.  Are we truly thankful?  Do we fully, unconditionally love our brothers and sisters in this life?  Do we strive on a daily basis to do what is right in God’s eyes, to live more closely to how Jesus lived?  Do we serve the Lord, and with gladness in our hearts?

God is the Creator of all there is!  He made us, and He chose us to be part of His family.  By His mercy and grace, and by the sacrifice of His Son upon mankind’s cross, He gives us eternal life in paradise if we only follow His Christ Jesus.

God is good!  All the time!  His steadfast love endures forever.  And He is ever faithful to us.  So let’s give Him all the praise and glory!  Let’s lift our voices and play our instruments in a joyful noise of thanksgiving and praise!  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our King.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for forgiving us of our disobedience and sin.  Thank You for offering us eternal life if we would just follow Your Son, and for giving us the faith to do just that.  Thank You for Your steadfast, unfailing love.  May we always come before You with thankful hearts, glorifying You in all we do.  This we pray in the blessed name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.