“Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.”
The Feast
This psalm pairs serving the LORD directly with gladness, not as separate, competing categories, sober service on one hand and joyful celebration on the other, but genuinely combined, serve the LORD with gladness, worship and gladness held together as one integrated posture, not divided into distinct, opposing modes.
Notice make a joyful noise, active, audible, not merely internal, private contentment kept quietly to yourself, but externally expressed, noise genuinely made, worship that spills outward into actual sound, singing, expression that others could genuinely hear and observe, not confined entirely to private, unexpressed feeling.
This is worth examining against however much your own worship has settled into quiet, restrained sobriety, technically genuine but missing this psalm’s specific call toward audible, expressed gladness, joyful noise actually made, not merely felt privately and never given genuine, external expression.
Consider today making some genuine, joyful noise, whatever form that actually takes for you, singing, audible thanksgiving, genuine celebration expressed outwardly, not confined to private, internal feeling alone. Come before his presence with singing, actually, today, not merely in careful, restrained quiet.
Keep the Feast
- Make some genuine, audible joyful noise today, not merely private, internal gladness.
- Sing, out loud, some genuine expression of thanksgiving, even if imperfectly or briefly.
- Notice whether your worship has settled into restrained quiet rather than expressed gladness.
Prayer
Lord, let me make a joyful noise unto you today, audibly, not merely privately. Let gladness and worship be genuinely combined, expressed, not restrained quiet alone. Amen.
Carry this today
Joyful noise is meant to be actually made, not merely privately felt.