October 20, Joy Commanded

Today’s reading: Psalms 96-100

“Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness”
- Psalm 96:13.

The key word in today’s verse is joy, and it seems out of place, for this verse talks about the Lord coming to judge the earth and the world. While He judges the world with a stern standard, however, He also judges His people with faithfulness, and that is good news worth joyfully celebrating. It is of note that the Lord commanded His people to rejoice when they came into His presence for the annual festivals as reported in Deuteronomy 16:14-15:

Be joyful at your festival—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns. For seven days celebrate the festival to the Lord your God at the place the Lord will choose. For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete.

Is your joy complete? Do you come into God’s presence with gladness or sadness of heart? Do you see that joy is a command? That means it is within your power to control, especially when you approach God and His relationship with you. What can do to turn on the joy spigot today to let your joy flow freely?