Where’s the gladness over God?

In some church services you’ll hear congregants singing, “He has made me glad, He has made me glad; I will rejoice, for He has made me glad …”

If God has brought gladness of heart to your life, shouldn’t that show in some way?

I think we often get this mixed up, thinking about how glad we are God has the opportunity to know us than the other way around! Kind of like this story told by John Reed …

Not long ago, there was a CEO of a Fortune 500 company who pulled into a service station to get gas. He went inside to pay, and when he came out he noticed his wife engaged in a deep discussion with the service station attendant. It turned out that she knew him. In fact, back in high school before she met her eventual husband, she used to date this man.

The CEO got in the car, and the two drove in silence. He was feeling pretty good about himself when he finally spoke: “I bet I know what you were thinking. I bet you were thinking you’re glad you married me, a Fortune 500 CEO, and not him, a service station attendant.”

“No, I was thinking if I’d married him, he’d be a Fortune 500 CEO and you’d be a service station attendant.”

When it comes to our knowing God, who should be glad? We can’t be glad by what we’ve done with our lives, but we can be deeply, profoundly glad for what God has done in and with ours …

“For You, O Lord, have made me glad by what You have done, I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands,” Psalm 92:4.

Let’s remember because of what Jesus Christ has done for us, we have reason for experiencing true gladness of heart …

“Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy,” Psalm 100:1-2.

Scotty