Looking for reasons to be joyful today?
Look no further than the psalms, which are filled with exhortations for the people of God to rejoice in the presence of God — to be glad in Him, to experience delight because of who He is, what He has done, and what He will continue to do.
Psalm 47 begins with a compelling and universal call to joy: “Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. For the LORD Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth” (Psalm 47:1-2).
There are many reasons for Christians to rejoice. God is so good – He rarely tells us to do something without also providing a holy motive to do it. He wants us to know why the command to be joyful has been issued, as indicated by the key word “for” at beginning of verse 2, which means “because.”
These opening verses of Psalm 47 give us at least three reasons to lift our voices with joy to God, and they center on who God and what He is doing.
Reason #1: The Supreme Position of God
We can rejoice because our God is “the LORD Most High.” We serve the one and only true God. But He has much competition. Our rebellious nature has resulted in the creation of countless false gods, from the physical idols of wood, metal and stone so common in biblical times, to the more subtle yet equally profane idols of modern society, such as money and possessions, pleasure and entertainment, power and popularity.
God does not tolerate our idolatry. Immediately prior to bringing the Israelites into Canaan, He commanded them to “Destroy completely all the places on the high mountains, on the hills and under every spreading tree, where the nations you are dispossessing worship their gods. Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and burn their Asherah poles in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names from those places” (Deuteronomy 12:2-3). This is the practical application of the first of the Ten Commandments, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3).
And some 1,500 later, God continues to steer His people away from the temptation to replace Him with the vain imaginations of our evil hearts, as the Apostle John ends his first letter with these words, “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21), for “He is the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:20).
Yes, the lure of counterfeit gods surrounds us every day. The antidote to idolatry is to focus on the matchless supremacy of the LORD Most High. By meditating on His transcendence, we can live in the heavenly places of Colossians 3:1-2 and “set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
Reason #2: The Awesome Wrath & Grace of God
The Bible is filled with breathtaking adjectives that describe God. Here is one of my favorites: “The LORD Most High is awesome” (Psalm 47:2). This Hebrew word has a wide range of meaning, as demonstrated by the diverse ways it is rendered in various Bible versions. Consider these other translations: “the Most High is awe-inspiring” (HCSB); “the Most High is to be feared” (ESV and NASB); “the LORD most high is terrible” (KJV). Yes, in 1611 the King James Version used the word “terrible” to describe our God.
And for good reason. When you consider the never-ending wrath of God that awaits unrepentant and idolatrous sinners, isn’t the eternal destiny of hell the most horrific fate imaginable? Yes, God is terrible . . . for those who refuse to believe in Him, submit to Him, and worship Him.
For those of us who have humbled ourselves before the throne of grace, all things do work together for our good in both this life and the next (per Romans 8:28). But for the rest of the human race, the terror of God will be all they know on Judgment Day and forever.
The wrath of God gives us reason to be in awe of Him, because God’s saving grace in Christ has rescued us from that terror. Because of the death of His Son, He has delivered us from His wrath, and therefore we are awestruck and flabbergasted. His unfailing love takes our breath away. Surely this is reason to rejoice every day!
Reason #3: The Holy Reign of God
Our God is nothing less than “the great King over all the earth” (Psalm 47:2). The kingdom of God is prominent in this psalm, for verses 6, 7 and 8 return to this theme. “Sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; sing to Him a psalm of praise. God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne.”
In the presence of such glorious royalty, we show the utmost respect, honor and admiration. We bow down before Him. We prostrate ourselves in His presence, well aware of our unworthiness, yet here we are, blown away by His majesty – all because His holy throne is also a throne of grace.
Yes, God is the sovereign ruler of the universe. He reigns over everyone and everything, whether we acknowledge it or not. Be not dismayed by what is reported in the news media on a daily basis — the Lord is in charge. He has ultimate authority and is in complete control of history. He reigns supreme because He is supreme.
Obviously, with the condition of the world the way it is, it doesn’t necessarily look like God is sitting on a holy throne. But for those with eyes of faith, we can see that Jesus is fulfilling every promise He has made, and that one day “every tongue will acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:11). In every way, King Jesus is the best, the strongest, the wisest and the most beautiful Person in the universe. No one else comes close. He’s in a class by Himself, a league all His own, because He is the LORD Most High, the awesome One, the great King of the cosmos.
These are three great reasons to rejoice in God. Today, and every day, may we lift our hearts and our voices in joyful adoration to the King of kings and Lord of lords.
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