Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. (Psalm 100:2, Holy Bible, New Living Translation).

How many times have you entered a sanctuary or a place of worship saddened by life’s situations? You may have been there from an obligatory sense of duty or attended from habit. Perhaps your intentions were good, but your prayers shifted to complaints, hoping that God would see how unfair life has been to you. Your problems made it difficult to immerse yourself in worship. Joy was absent.

When life is a downer, don’t wait for joy to find you. Try the opposite. Worship with gusto. Sing with joy even if you don’t feel it. Your positive attitude can make a difference in your life and be an example to others.

Prayer: Lord, I will lay aside my problems and complaints when I enter the sanctuary. I will remember the words of the Psalmist and worship You with gladness with songs of joy. Amen.

Devotion by Violet Carr Moore