Psalm 43 “Ecstatic Joy!”

Ben White captured this little boy’s ecstatic joy don’t you think? Is this how joyful we are when we consider going to church?

How does your morning start when you contemplate getting ready to attend church? The unknown author says in vs 4 that when he returns to the place where God dwelt he will go into the altar to the God who gives him ecstatic joy. Is this how you enter your place of worship? When you go do you sit and listen attentively or do you nod off and fail to comprehend the Pastor’s message? Do you grumble about time? Do you grumble about the Preacher’s message which he has spent hours crafting? We all are so prone to these questions and we find ourselves lacking that ecstatic joy the psalmist talked about. Stop right now and pray for those who will serve in any capacity at your church.

Why is the psalmist so ready to return to worship? He knows that is where God’s people are and where God’s message will be pronounced. It is where he can sing and praise God. It is where the balm of Gilead is poured out upon him to refresh him and renew his energy to serve God. The Westminster Confession of Faith tells us that man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

And if you don’t have a local church, find one!

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash (and author’s caption)