How to Find Joy in Every Situation

/ Kim Smith

Summer in the Psalms – Week Six – Psalm 100

I have a love hate relationship with the start of the school year. I love the excitement of new beginnings, regularly seeing friends again, and the anticipation of all the adventures the year ahead holds. But simultaneously I dread the challenges of creating new routines and helping my kids navigate new relationships.

Every year at this time I notice my anxiety slowly increasing and my joy plunging. I become consumed with fears regarding teacher assignments and time management to the point that the joy of starting a new year is completely gone.

Today, we will read a passage that has taught me how to hold on to joy during this chaotic time and throughout the year.

Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.

Psalm 100 (NLT)

A psalm of thanksgiving.

1 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
2     Worship the Lord with gladness.
    Come before him, singing with joy.
3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
    He made us, and we are his.
    We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
    go into his courts with praise.
    Give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good.
    His unfailing love continues forever,
    and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

Questions:

  1. What does the passage say about you?
  2. What does the passage say about God?

My first reaction after reading Psalm 100 is “How?” Verses 1 and 2 read like a fairytale full of joy and gladness, singing and shouting in praise. How do I even begin to apply this verse in my life when my days are better described as anxious, overwhelming, and chaotic?

Thankfully, the psalmist doesn’t leave us in suspense and gives us the answer in the verses that follow.

Surrender – Verse 3

The first way to find joy is to acknowledge that the Lord is God. When we declare God is God, we are identifying Him as the creator and author of our lives, but we are also surrendering all authority. Proclaiming God as God in your life means giving Him full control. To experience joy, you must first surrender.

Give Thanks – Verse 4

The second way to experience God’s joy and gladness is to give Him thanks and praise His name. It is impossible to stay negative when you are reminding yourself of all your blessings. Philippians 4:6-7 promises that your anxious heart will be guarded by peace when you pray and give thanks to God. The quickest way to turn negative thoughts into joy is to pray. Tell God what is on your heart, and thank Him for all He’s already done. Your circumstances may not change immediately but your perspective will. To experience joy, you must practice gratitude.

Remember God’s Character – Verse 5

The final way to find joy is to focus on who God is. Verse 5 describes God as full of goodness, unfailing love, and eternal faithfulness. The Message version says, “For God is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, loyal always and forever.” Knowing God loves me without condition and will be by my side in all circumstances certainly fills my soul with gladness. To experience joy, you must remember the character of God.

Conclusion

My sons started school last week, and I’m happy to report their first week went great. They navigated new friends and new schedules beautifully. The last several years have taught me that most of the fears I experience at the start of the year are things outside my control. This year I tried a different approach. I surrendered my jitters to God, thanked Him for the amazing school my boys attend, all the staff that know and love them, and for all the friends they’ve already made. Then I reminded myself that God loves my boys and is working for their good. He is faithful to me and to them. Doing this has allowed me to fully experience all the joy this first week of school has offered, and I’m so grateful. I’m praying God continues to help me build this practice of surrender, gratitude, and praise as the year continues.

Additional Resources:

Thank you so much for joining me for the Summer in the Psalms series. This post is the sixth and final post. If you missed the first five posts, you can read them below. If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve read this summer, please consider subscribing to my blog here. You’ll get every post I write sent directly to your in-box. By subscribing, you are helping me get one step closer to my dream of writing a book. Thank you!

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