Answering The Question...

Ever since I was a kid in elementary school I loved to listen to Rock and Roll!  I had a transistor radio (remember those…) in my room that I turned on as soon as I got out of bed and a cube radio in the bathroom that I listened to anytime I entered that room.  In junior high I began to learn to play the electric guitar and was in a Rock and Roll band from ninth grade through high school.

When I started dating my wife I attended her youth group and sang the “Singspiration Christian Youth Songs” with them, but secretly despised their simple folk beat.  Throughout the early years of our courtship, Piper would occasionally attempt to catch my interest with some new Christian youth orientated song, but I always laughed it off a bad imitation of the songs played on the Top 40 radio stations… until the Fall of 1974 when she returned home from an abbreviated solo stay at Chico State University.  After giving me a great big hug and I am sure a few kisses (oophs… gotta remember that this is a “G” rated blog!), she handed me the first album produced by a young new Christian band called “The Second Chapter of Acts.”

She had gone to a Christian Concert at the school that headlined Barry McGuire whose secular song “Eve of Destruction” had rocketed to the top of the charts just before he hit an emotional bottom in his life and turned to Christ.  He was backed up in his early concerts by (as he called them) “three skinny people” called The Second Chapter of Acts.  When they sang a few songs on their own toward the end of the concert, Piper KNEW that I would be hooked, and she was right!

When we got married a year later and I was hired as the Youth Minister at our church, I went bonkers and purchased all of the albums of this new genre of Rock and Roll flavored Christian artists that I could get my hands on and instituted a lending library for the members of our youth group.  It was also about that time that I stopped listening to secular rock and turned my attention to God’s new “hot” music for the younger generation!

I thought of this earlier today, and in particular of one of the songs we used to play a lot back then, when I began to pray about scriptures to study for Thanksgiving week.  The song was based on Psalm 100 and its chorus echoed the words of Psalm 100’s first verse, ♫ “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all the earth.”♪ (Brenton’s English Septuagint)

The Treasury of David commentary of the Psalms states that “The original word (noise) signifies a glad shout, such as loyal subjects give when their king appears before them.  Our happy God should be worshipped by a happy people; a cheerful spirit is in keeping with his nature, his acts, and the gratitude which we should cherish…”  This explanation put David’s command of making a joyful noise or happy shout to the Lord into perspective for me.

The sermon we heard yesterday sparked some thoughts in me about some of the negative comments that have been said about us over the last four years.  I was talking to my wife about one of these thoughts as we went on our afternoon jaunt around our neighborhood later in the day.  I asked the question of how two people from identical backgrounds can look at the same situation and see two totally different things.  One seeing joyful times, trusting in the Lord and confidently following His loving plans for our lives, while the other only seeing difficult times filled with lack and insecurity.

As we walked and I talked out my thoughts, I came to the conclusion that it is all based on the attitude of one’s heart.  But today as I began to study Psalm 100 and other supporting scriptures, I saw that there is a step previous to determining the attitude of one’s heart.  It has to do with how one sees God.  Spurgeon in His Treasury of David talked about God’s happy nature.  That being cheerful and happy is part of who He is.

The Bible Illustrator says that our shouting joyfully unto the Lord “is founded on knowledge and developed in service.”  The knowledge that our God is in Himself good and that our service should be gladsome, thankful and demonstrative of these attributes.  The prophet asked the question in Numbers 23:19 about God saying, “Has he said and will he not do it?  Or has he spoken and will he not fulfill it?”  This is a foundational question that each of has to individually answer in our lives.  Do you know God to be a happy God who is ALWAYS good and faithful to His promises to you?  Or are there times when you question His motives and His ability or desire to complete what He said in His Word that He would do for you?  Do you see the proverbial glass as half full or half empty when it comes to God coming through for you?

My wife has ALWAYS had a joyful, thankful and praiseful attitude when it comes to the promises and abilities of God.  When she raised her hand at church when she was eight years old to accept Christ as her personal Savior and Lord, she affirmatively answered the prophets question in Numbers 23:19.  Others around her who also raised their hands had to answer that same question on their own.  I think some are still deciding as to which way to go…

How would you, or did you answer that question?  Can you “Shout happily to the Lord?” (God’s Word ©) at all times, in all situations?  That is something to consider as we enter into this Thanksgiving week.  Have a great week.  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting TO SHOUT JOYFULLY ABOUT today?