Human Response 496: Glad and Merry in Heart

2 Chronicles 7:10 And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the Lord had shewed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.

After the dedication of the temple and its furnishings the people went home glad and merry in heart. Their God had done something great and good. He showed His goodness to David defeating the enemies and establishing the kingdom. He showed His goodness to Solomon giving him wisdom and prosperous rule. He showed His goodness to His people in granting a kingdom and a temple in which to dwell. All of this good news was exhibited in the lavish temple built for the Lord.

Because they saw and heard how good God is to them, they would go home with glad merry hearts. The same thing happens to us when we go to church, hear the Gospel, and receive forgiveness and life: we go home with glad and merry hearts. We leave church with a lighter spirit and full of joy. This kind of glad and merry heart can be our heart every day, after we spend some time with God in the Word and in prayer. And by God’s grace and goodness this Gospel is always available to us, day and night, in good times and in bad, in pleasant or in difficult circumstances.

Whatever, we always have Jesus with us, we can always hear the gospel, and we may at any time remember the goodness that God shows to us in our Baptism. As a matter of truth, Christian Joy fills our hearts day after day. And the more we see and hear God’s goodness the happier we are in response. And life is good!