"This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and BE GLAD in it."
Psalm 118:24
He has made me GLAD. Those words of Scripture are uplifting. Genuine happiness is a wonderful thing. It is something to cherish and to rejoice in. In a world of pessimism and discouragement, it is good to know that in Christ I can be truly GLAD. Unfortunately, many Christians do not appear to be very GLAD. Perhaps we are a bit too skeptical, or maybe we have become so cynical that we are waiting for something bad to happen. Even the disciples on the day of Christ's resurrection were not immediately GLAD. Mary and the others ran in with the tremendous news of Christ's resurrection, but all that they received were looks of doubt. You must remember that at that time a woman's testimony was not even permissible in a court of law. Peter and John went to the tomb to see for themselves, but they returned with confusion instead of gladness. On this day, the Lord's Day, we know that He is risen and that there is truly life through His name. Therefore, we should BE GLAD. Our gladness should be so infectious that those who do not know Christ see it and desire to have the joy that we are experiencing.
This past week was a wonderful week of VBS at Lighthouse. I was so thrilled with the great group of kids we had and all of the workers. Every night was a blessing, and the Lord really lifted my spirit during the week. There was one little boy that taught me the meaning of this verse. His name was Jeffrey. Jeffrey does not attend our church regularly, but he lives down the street from a couple of families in our church. For some reason, Jeffrey and his two brothers were about three minutes late every night without fail. They would always walk in while we were singing our theme song for the week. One of the thrills of standing on stage is getting to see every thing that goes on in the audience. By Wednesday night I was looking so forward to when Jeffrey walked in that back door. He came in with the biggest smile that you could imagine. He obviously could hear the music before he came in the auditorium, because he walked through the doors singing the theme song. He was clapping with all that he had (Timing was not his strong suit.). He was the very definition of gladness. Maybe it would be good for all of us to learn a lesson from Jeffrey and realize that when we walk through the doors of the Lord's house gladness should be our garment of praise.
One further note on this passage, notice that gladness is not just an action but a state of being, BE GLAD. If you are a child of God, gladness is what you should be. God has saved you and redeemed you. He has given you life and hope for eternity. He has transformed you from being a child of darkness to a child of Light. BE GLAD about the miracle working power of Jesus Christ that has made such an effect on your life.
May you BE GLAD with God's people in God's presence today!
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