Him Serve with Mirth
Good morning, Immanuel. We serve in the energy he has given and in the assurance that we are his–his beloved.
“Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!” (Psalm 100:2).
The old hymn, All People That on Earth Do Dwell, begins with these lyrics:
All people that on earth do dwell,
sing to the LORD with cheerful voice;
Him serve with mirth, His praise forth-tell;
come ye before Him and rejoice!
Admittedly, there is some old-fashioned English in there, but it is magnificent poetically and theologically. That’s because it draws directly from Psalm 100:2, which says, “Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!”
What an invitation. It’s not “serve the Lord in begrudging obedience” or “grit your teeth and serve the Lord.” No, Him serve with mirth. Mirth is laughter. It is joy. It is overflowing happiness. It is what Psalm 100 calls “gladness.”
We can serve this way and find this kind of enjoyment in the service because “he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” (100:3) We don’t expend our energy in an effort to satisfy an irascible taskmaster. We serve in the energy he has given and in the assurance that we are his–his beloved, his children, his sheep to care for.
So today, let us Him serve with mirth because of all God has done for us in Christ.
Join us this upcoming Wednesday, June 26, for a joyful Tenth Generation Churchwide Gathering. Doors open at 5 PM with fellowship and food in the courtyard. We’ll gather in the worship center at 6:30 PM for updates. Plan to stick around afterward for desserts as well! Let’s celebrate this incredible opportunity the Lord has given us together.