Month: April 2025

Psalm 97:12 Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

The Lord generously grants deliverance, light and gladness. Our free reception by faith responds by rejoicing and giving thanks. When we hear the Gospel our spirit rejoices in the Lord and naturally gives thanks every time we remember the holiness of the Lord given us through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Faith receives the tangible gift of forgiveness, life and salvation.

Our lives are changed from sorrow, death, and despair to powerful hope, joy and life. Through Baptism, Communion, and faith in the Gospel we go from the depths to the heights, from darkness to light. Then our lives are transformed into continual rejoicing in the Lord and daily giving thanks. That is what our life looks like all the time. We need regular reminders of grace and love, because life in this world is hard and gets us down. So we go to church weekly and repent daily.

Our joy is in the Lord, not in the things of the world nor even in ourselves. The joy of the Lord is in us, and nothing and no one can take that away. Expressing that joy and thanks reinforces the truth and reality of God’s love, joy and peace.

Psalm 97:6, 8 The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory….Zion heard, and was glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O Lord.

The sun, moon, sky, stars and planets reveal and shout out the righteousness of the Creator God. There is a beautiful and glorious God who demands holiness of us. We humans are answerable to this God. We see and we hear, and we are filled with gladness and joy. We also rejoice because His judgments against our Sin is just and fair, and because He has judged our enemies, sin, death, and the devil.

When we see the suffering, death and resurrection of the Son of God and hear the Good News of the saving Gospel, we respond with gladness and joy. Our lives are filled with joy and rejoicing after we hear the gospel weekly and when we see His mercies new every morning. Sin, guilt and all evil is judged and finished by Jesus Christ. We are free to enjoy God’s forgiveness, mercy, grace, love and life. All doubt, fear, guilt, and worry are judged, gone forever. We glory in the cross of Christ.

In the hearing of the Gospel of Creation and Redemption faith, hope, and love takes over and rules our lives every day. We see, hear and rejoice always.