GLADNESS OF HEART

“You have put GLADNESS in MY HEART, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increase” – Psalm 4:7

GLADNESS of HEART is a prerequisite for any offering we desire to bring to God, especially the Offering of Praises: “But let the righteous be GLAD; let them rejoice before God; Yes, let them exceedingly rejoice” (Psa.68:3). God desires and demands our praises. If men refuse to praise Him, He can raise stones to take their place (Lk.19:40)! Praise is one thing God will not do for Himself. He gave His creatures the privilege to fulfil that role, but our praises are only acceptable when they flow from glad hearts.

Gladness of heart is a vital platform for offering acceptable praise to God. Not every hymn, song or dance is equal to praise! For it to be acceptable to God, praise must be joyful – JOY FULL. When our singing is not flowing with gladness, when our dancing is not joyful, then it remains impotent and unable to deliver! This is God’s demand: “Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands” (Psa. 100:1). How does gladness come? The answer is not far-fetched: “Light is sown for the righteous, and GLADNESS for the upright in heart” (Psa.97:11). The surest path into the arena of Gladness is the path of “light”! Meanwhile, it is the entrance of God’s Word that “gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (Psa. 119:130). “Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness…” means that Light precedes Gladness! Next to light is uprightness of heart: “…gladness for the upright in heart” – this is the sustainer of gladness!

Gladness is part of the Inheritance and Hope of the Righteous: “The hope of the righteous will be GLADNESS, but the expectation of the wicked will perish” (Pro.10:28). The Bible records that after the deliverance of the Jews from the Haman-intended genocide: “The Jews had LIGHT and GLADNESS, and JOY, and honor” (Est.8:16). That is the purposed portion of every chosen of the Lord. I pray that your hope of Gladness and your expectation for celebration shall never be disappointed, in Jesus name!

The opposite of Gladness of heart is ‘Sorrow of heart’ and this is at the root of much of human struggles in life. All of the depression and escalating rate of suicide in today’s world are traceable to “sorrow of heart”…That is why when Jesus came, He devoted His ministry not only to healing the human body, but broken hearts as well: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted…” (Lk.4:18a). Following our salvation from sin and its consequences, God focuses attention on the healing of our hearts. Until a broken heart is healed, a glorious destiny may remain sealed! Acceptable praises can rarely emanate from a heart that is devoid of Joy and Gladness.

Sorrow of heart or depression differs from gladness of heart like darkness differs from light – they never mix, meet or coexist! One must bow to the other. Depression drives one deeper into oppression. But when depression is healed, oppression ceases. How then do we overcome sorrow or heaviness of heart? For you to not fall a victim of sorrow or depression, whenever negative situations arise, as they sometimes will, remind yourself that it could have been worse but for the grace for God. When you reckon with God on that basis, you’ll always conclude that you owe Him praise! That you are alive and breathing is sufficient reason to raise His praise. All you need to possess in order to praise Him is breath in your nostrils: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” (Psa.150:6).

We read in today’s text: “You have GLADNESS in MY HEART, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increase” (Psa.4:7). His gladness of heart was not dependent or driven by material circumstances – “the time that their corn and wine increase”! Beloved, what is the Source and Driver of your Gladness? Finally, when divine Gladness reigns in your heart, you’ll “lie down in peace, and sleep” and “dwell in safety” (v.8).