Overflowing Joy in Worship

When our hearts rest in God’s goodness, we discover overflowing joy in worship that fills us with praise, gratitude, and peace.

“You shall rejoice before the LORD your God … You shall rejoice in your feast … the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful.”—Deuteronomy 16:11–15 NASB

God made it clear: Worship should be filled with joy! Within just a few sentences, He repeated this message three times to the children of Israel, instructing them to “rejoice before the Lord,” “rejoice” at the Feast, and obey Him so they would be “altogether joyful.” These were not merely options … He commanded them to be joyful!

God wants this same spirit of joy to be part of our worship experience. This is true for our corporate worship as well as for our times of personal devotion.

Worship is an opportunity to praise Him, to remember all that He’s done, to hear His voice, to celebrate His faithfulness, and to enter victory!

We cannot enter this joyful worship unless we have a personal, intimate relationship with the Lord. Our lives must change, and we must recognize our reasons to celebrate. Then when we enter God’s presence, we will experience “fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11). He wants us to realize His desire to lead us, bless us, and teach us so we can rejoice before Him, serve Him, and share this joy with others.

Take your mind off your personal problems and the difficult situations you face. Instead of dwelling on your own needs, focus on God. Fix your eyes on the Lord and start praising Him. Rejoice in His presence. Worship Him! Thank Him! Allow His joy to fill your heart. Truly, He wants to make your joy complete.

Reflection Question: How can you make your worship today overflow with joy?