The Goal of all Searching

Scripture:
"Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing;" Psalm 100:1-2

Observation:
Shout joyfully. Serve with gladness. Sing with joy. Three simple commands. Three calls to express what everyone seeks and longs to have. The goal of all searching is to find these three things.

Application:
This verse really resonates with me. I long to be in a place where I shout because of the joy I feel. The best way I can think of to describe what this verse is saying is that this shout should be the same shout for joy I experience at a ball game. My team scores and I shout for joy.

I also want to serve with a glad heart. There are so many times that I blow this one. Not with the outside world. Normally, I am really good at serving in other places with gladness. It is at home that I really miss out. I get tired and as a result I sometimes feel taken advantage of. As a result, I often end up bathing the kids, or washing dishes, or cutting grass with a attitude of hurt; not of gladness.

As I think about how I approach God, I realize that I really do not come to Him with a song in my heart as often as I approach Him with a bur in my saddle. I come at Him ticked off or frustrated about something in my life that I want taken care of. I come with an agenda. I wonder how my life and relationships would be altered if I began to focus all my energy on developing a song in my heart?

Prayer:
This is such a simple Psalm. I learned it as a child, maybe in the first or second grade. As a result, it has always stuck in my mind as something simple and childish. But as I read it this morning, I am reminded of just how powerful a verse it is. The words contained in these two short verses capture the essence of everything everyone everywhere seeks. Shouts of joy. Gladness in service. A singing heart. Everyone I have counseled with over the past five years has been searching for these in some form or fashion. Every business person I have worked with has been working to find some form of these. Every wealthy family has been planning to create these. Everything I desire in life is wrapped up in finding something that brings so much joy that I shout, serving in an area that creates gladness, or waking everyday with a song of joy on my heart.

The problem is that I often leave out "the LORD" part. I place my focus on things like boats. Trips. Success. Money. Security. Job. Kids. The list just continues. My mind is constantly scanning stations looking for something that I can enjoy. This morning I confess to You two things. First, I confess that I have sought my joy in many other things. Your word says that I am to have no other god before You, but I have made or tried to make gods out of many things. This is my sin and I own it before You. Second, I confess that I do not have the slightest idea of how I am supposed to refocus all my desires for joy and gladness solely on You. I am totally dependent on You. I pray that You move upon my heart to find my joy in You.