Ways to cultivate a life of joy (Psalm 100)

There are some Christians who radiate an inner peace and joy, so that those who meet them walk away refreshed and reassured that somehow all is well with the world. It is not that they manage to evade life’s difficulties so that their own smooth sailing makes them serenely happy ­– and serenely unaware of others’ struggles. Neither are they people who grit their teeth and suppress their sorrow to present a happy face to the world. Rather, whatever challenges life throws at them, they find resources to respond with hope even amidst tears and fears. Such an attitude sounds almost too good to be true, yet this short psalm shows a pathway towards such an attitude.

To know and acknowledge God as King

First, our reading lists seven verbs of exhortation (shout joyfully, serve, come, know, come [NASB ‘enter’], give thanks, bless his name), which are like concentric circles, ripples in a calm pool made by a stone thrown. At the centre is the command to ‘know’, which in context means to acknowledge and recognise Him for who He truly is (Ps 100:3). He Himself (and we might add, He alone) is God. There are so many powers that may have a say in our lives and impact our fate, what the Bible summarises as sin, the world, and the devil. These include the temptations of our heart, bosses, governments, strong individuals who influence us, destructive messages from our culture, Satan himself. Yet none of these is equal to God who is our Shepherd (v.3). This is a royal metaphor in the ancient world and the psalm carries several other allusions that God is King.[1] Can we live with the knowledge that God is greater than any other power and nothing can touch us that He is not aware of? Moreover, He can work all things into His good plan for us (Rom 8:28-29). We rejoice when we recognise God as King.

Our identity: we are His

Second, our identity is rooted in the fact that God has made us and we are His (v.3). This could refer to creation, but also to Israel being made into God’s people from slaves of Egypt through His saving acts. Today many seek identity through looking into their hearts but feel confused in the face of the conflicting emotions, desires, and dreams there. Additionally, their thinking and goals may change over time – not a recipe for a stable identity. Moreover, if identity is rooted in achievements, then it can be lost. Identity through an attractive body can be lost through ill-health, weight gain or aging. Money can evaporate through bad choices or an economic downturn. A career or status can be lost with a job. Looking to a spouse or children to give us identity can crumble when the relationship is disrupted – or never happens. But our sense of self as Christians rests in the fact that God has given us new life, brought us out of enslavement from sin and bestowed on us an identity that is relational. We are children of God. Significantly, because God is good, loving and trustworthy (Ps 100:5), He will not go back on His commitment to us. Since our identity never depended on our achievements, it cannot be lost through them. It is stable.

Serving God with joy

Finally, our psalm encourages the service of God that is not a chore, but a delight. There may be dry periods when we are simply treading water, but if we never know the joy of serving God then we have not fully understood the implications of who God is and who we are. Pharaoh offered Israel the choice to serve God within Egypt or not too far (Exod 8:25, 28), but this was impossible because serving God conflicts with life in slavery. God’s people had to leave their slave identity behind under the authority of an exploitative power and come to know God as the only Lord and King. While we may not leave country or job behind when we are saved, we cannot simply fit God into the existing structures and orientation of our lives. It is only when God becomes our first priority as King and we His people that our relationship will blossom into joy and thanksgiving (Ps 100:2, 4).

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[1] Psalm 100 concludes a series of psalms that emphasise that God reigns, that He is King (Ps 93-99). All mention that God reigns or identify Him as King, except Psalm 94, but the latter addresses God as Judge (Ps 94:2), which is a royal function, indeed the most important job of any king in the ancient world. There are several allusions to God’s kingship in our psalm. First, the verb to ‘shout joyfully’ in previous psalms is a response to God’s kingship (e.g. Ps 47:1-2; 95:2-3; 98:6) and so it is here. Second, serving Him (Ps 100:2) implies His status as master and lord. Third, as mentioned before, the shepherd imagery is a royal metaphor. Hammurabi, the Amorite king of the Old Babylonian Empire (18^th century BC) calls himself in the prologue of his law collection both shepherd and saviour of his people. Finally, entering God’s gates and courts (Ps 100:4), which refers to the temple complex, evokes a palace. In fact, one of the words used in Hebrew for temple is ‘palace’ and the way the temple is structured with gradations of access (worshippers can get into the courtyard, priests into the sanctuary, the high priest into the Holy of Holies once a year) also implies God’s kingship.

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