Joyful Christians

Psalm 92:1 – It is good to praise the Lord and make music to Your name, O Most High. (NIV)

Psalm 100:1-2 – Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. (NIV)

A few weeks ago, we were privileged to hear an African children's choir sing. The joy that these children exhibited and their love for Jesus were quite contagious and very uplifting!

Since then, we hosted a couple of young men from Malawi who were part of a group of youth who were attending Canada Youth 2012 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. We had a potluck supper for them at our church, and they taught us a couple of songs. One was called "Making Melodies". It goes like this:

Making melodies in my heart,
Making melodies in my heart,
Making melodies in my heart
To the King of kings.

There were actions that accompanied the song: thumbs up, elbows back, chest out, knees bent, turn around, tongue out. They had everyone participating in the actions, and we had such fun. They truly exhibited the joy of the Lord!

We, as Christians, should be joyful people. Jesus has forgiven our sins and conquered our worst enemy, death. This is good reason to be joyful! We should be excited about Jesus and what He has done for us, just as these African young people are. Do we show our joy when we sing praises to God? Do we clap our hands? Do we raise our hands to Him? Do we dance? Do we look happy?

What witnesses of their faith these two groups were! Those of us who met these young people only have to hear the words "Making Melodies", and we are smiling. The tune usually stays with us for the rest of the day (or longer). We bought a CD of the children's choir, and I am playing it wherever I go in the car. In one of the songs the children sing, "He is the reason that Africans sing."

Psalm 126:3 – The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. (NIV)

God has blessed us in so many wonderful ways. The greatest gift of all is that He sent His Son, Jesus, Who died on the cross for our sins so that we can have a right relationship with Him. When we confess our sins to God, we can experience the love and forgiveness that comes from Jesus. We are set free. This is good reason to sing joyfully!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we praise You and thank You for giving us Jesus. Forgive us for our complacency and lack of enthusiasm. Help us to be the joyful Christians that we ought to be, so that we can be witnesses of Your great love for us and bring glory to Your name. For You alone are worthy of our praise. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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