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"Serve!" saith the man, "why should I be a servant? I hate the yoke, and I will not bow my neck." The lawless spirit, fond of what it calls "free thought" and "free action," hates the sound of the word "serve." "I will be my own master," says the wayward soul of the man who knows not what is meant by obedience, and has never drunk into the deep joy of submission to the Lord. "Serve!" saith he, "let those do so who are calves enough to bow their necks, but as for me, I know no government but my own ungovernable will." But to the soul that is humble, teachable, weaned from the world, and changed into a little child, the thought of service has heaven in it; for such a heart remembers that in the New Jerusalem they serve God day and night, and it looks forward to perfect service as being its perfect rest. Renewed minds accept "Ich dien" — "I serve" — as their motto, and feel ennobled thereby.

I. The gladsome service of God has ITS SECRET SPRINGS.

1. One main cause why the believer serves God with gladness is, that he is free from the bondage of the law. When the believer serves the Lord, it is with no idea whatever of obtaining eternal life thereby. The child of God works not for life, but from life: he does not work to be saved, he works because he is saved.

2. Another reason why the Christian serves God with gladness, is because he has a lively sense of the contrast between his present service and his former slavery. What a hard, cruel, Egyptian bondage, was that out of which Jesus brought us! Jesus is the Master and Lord, whom to obey is perfect peace; but Satan, the foul tyrant, is one from whom we rejoice to have been delivered.

3. Moreover, the believer's joy in the Lord's service springs from the fact that he serves God from the instincts of his new nature. The genuine Christian, full of the love of God, cannot be an idler.

4. Another reason why the Christian is conscious of great gladness in serving God is, that he has a sense of honour with it. Did you ever reflect how wondrous a condescension it is in God to allow a creature to serve Him? He sits on His own throne, and establisheth it by His own power. He has no dependence upon His creatures. The greatest of spirits He has ever made are as nothing before Him, and yet, see! He condescends to be served by us!

5. Furthermore, the believer, when he serves God, knows that his service is not the highest place which he occupies. "I am a servant," saith he, "I am not ashamed of it — to serve God is royal dignity, but then I am not altogether and alone a servant." Here is the Christian's joy — he hears his Master say (John 15:15).

6. Again, there comes over the Christian's mind a gentle thought which in his darkest moments yields him joy; namely, that grace has promised a reward. We are not to be rewarded for the merit of our works, but still the free grace of God has promised that we shall not toil for nought. "Well done, good and faithful servant," etc.

II. Trace some of the MANIFEST STREAMS OF CHRISTIAN SERVICE IN THEIR GLADNESS. In the first place, we should always serve the Lord with gladness in the public assemblies of His people. The more hypocritical a people are, the more solemnly miserable their outward aspect when at worship. O ye chosen seed, be glad; and of all the days in the week, look at the first as the prime glory of all the feast-days of the soul. Do not pull the blinds down, let the sun shine into the room more cheerily than on week days. Be cheerful and happy at family worship. In your private devotions you should also "Serve the Lord with gladness." "Serve the Lord with gladness." But then the Christian's service for God lasts all the day long! The genuine Christian knows that he can serve God as much in the shop as he can in the meeting-house; that the service of God can be carried on in the farmyard and market, while he is buying and selling, quite as well as in singing and praying. Should not we do our business much better if we looked upon it in that light? Would not it be a happy thing, if, regarding all our work as serving God, we went about it with gladness?

III. It is not always easy to serve God with gladness; if it were, we should not need to be told to do it, but on account of THE DIFFICULTY OF IT, we are therefore the oftener bidden to be happy. "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again," says the apostle, "I say, Rejoice." If he had felt it would be easy, it was sufficient to tell us once, but the repetition shows the difficulty. Our inbred sin — is not that enough, when we serve God, to make us do it with the bitter cry, "O wretched man that I am l who shall deliver me?" Yes, but we shall be delivered, I thank God, through Christ our Lord, we shall be delivered from the bondage of our corruption. Let us serve God in infirmities with the glad thought that we shall not always be imperfect, but by and by shall be in the glory of our Master, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. Outward trials, again — how hard it is to serve God with gladness when one is losing an estate, or when the cupboard is bare, and there is scarcely money to provide the children with clothes! Yet the Christian does not live upon what he sees alone; he knows there is a secret strength, a secret helper, and he knows how to go to God in times of outward trouble, and cast his care upon Him who careth for him.

IV. THERE IS MUCH EXCELLENCE IN CHEERFUL SERVICE. Is it possible that when we serve God with gladness, we thereby escape many fatherly chastisements which otherwise might come upon us? (Deuteronomy 28:47). Do you not think, too, that when Christians serve God with gladness, they derive many benefits themselves? Does not the Lord water those who water others? Besides, does not our God deserve to be served with gladness? Oh, when we get to heaven, if we could have regrets, would not this be one, that we had not served Him better? Our Master deserves to have the best love, the warmest confidence, the sternest perseverance, the utmost self-denial — let us seek to give Him these, and to give them with a cheerful heart. Besides, if we would do good to our fellow-men, we must serve God with gladness. I believe thousands of young people are kept from considering the Gospel by the gloom of some professors.

( C. H. Spurgeon.)

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KJV: Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

WEB: Serve Yahweh with gladness. Come before his presence with singing.