Jump Start # 2861

Psalms 92:4 “For You, O Lord, have made me glad by what You have done, I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.”

What an interesting thought the Psalmist presents in this passage. God has made me glad. We sing, “I’m happy today, I’m happy today…” But, truth be, do we really believe God has made us glad? Certainly, He has saved us. He hears our prayers. He guides us. He is the Lord and the King. He is preparing Heaven for us. But made us glad?

Here are some thoughts beyond the obvious ones to consider:

First, look at the people God has put in your life. We start with our family, mom, dad and the kids. Siblings. Cousins. Uncles. Aunts. Grandparents. Now, for some, family has been messy and dysfunctional. But not for all of us. In going through some of my dad’s things, I ran across a stack of those cards you pick up at the funeral home. It has the person’s name, birth and death listed. There were a ton of those he had saved through the years. But rubber banded, was a stack labeled “family.” Many I knew the names but that was about it. Yet, they were family.

Beyond just our family, think about the brethren God has put in your life. So many of us can crisscross this country and know the best people, because they are the people of God. Good people. Godly people. People who have helped you. People that you have helped. Friends of God and now, friends of you. There are a mountain of preachers that I know and consider dear friends. I treasure them and love them dearly. In my office, I have dozens of photos of me with some of these preachers. Fond memories.

O Lord, you have made me glad by what you have done. God has allowed our lives to intersect and God has allowed quality people to be in our lives.

Second, look at the place where you worship—not the structure or the building, but who worships with you. For many, we have looked at these same faces for decades. Babies have been born. Kids have graduated. Some have married and moved away. There has been surgeries and chemo and funerals, as well as anniversary parties and wonderful times together. We see young men leading singing and giving their first lessons. We have studied the Bible through and through by talented men who have a wonderful way of finding nuggets of wisdom for us. Singings. Guest preachers. Baptisms. Men appointed as deacons and shepherds. These people have more in common than many of our physical families. We have worked together to clean the building, taught together in VBS, pooled our money to help those who were struggling. What a journey it has been.

O Lord, you have made me glad by what you have done. God has allowed to be a part of a congregation that loves Him and follows Him dearly.

Third, look at what the Lord has done for you personally. You have prayed daily for a long, long time. You have sought guidance from the Lord. You have asked the Lord for mercy and forgiveness. You have asked the Lord to heal a loved one. So many prayers. You have thanked the Lord. You have praised the Lord. And, just consider how many times the Lord has answered your prayers. When your teens you out at night driving, you prayed. When your child walked down the isle to get married, you prayed. When you held that little grandchild in your arms, you prayed. When your parents were at the door of death, you prayed. When you haven’t felt well, you prayed. You have talked and talked to the Lord every day.

And, look where you are today. You are a solid, strong child of God. You have grown through the help God has put in your life. You have become a servant that has touched the lives of others. You have taught, invited and shared the saving message of Jesus for decades. God has been with you when you were discouraged. God has been with you when you were lonely. God has been with you when you journeyed through those dark valleys of death. He has never let you down. He has never disappointed you. He has never failed to bless you.

O Lord, you have made me glad by what you have done. God has blessed you and loved you for as long as you have been alive.

There are many things in life that can put a smile on our lips. Chocolate pie with whip cream on top will do that for me. Having one of my grandkids walk up with a book in their hand and they want me to read it to them will do that for me. Sitting on my back porch with my wife will do that for me. Watching my Dodgers win will do that for me. But nothing beats the gladness that comes from what the Lord has done.

O Lord, you have made me glad by what you have done.

Roger