He Makes Me Glad

From the Desk of Pastor Toby Powers

Truth Baptist Church

Hwy 78

Bremen, GA

He Makes Me Glad

Psalms 4:7-8

Intro: There is much sought after in life; however, the pursuit of happiness is the most elusive goal man has. He attempts to make his heart glad with everything of this world. These external things, however, only bring temporary cessation of a permanent need. Man’s heart longs for eternal joy and gladness, but society and its pleasures can only offer momentary rushes of pleasures that simply mask the emptiness within. To know the Lord in the power of His resurrection, this is what, above any thing, we can rejoice in (v. 7): Thou hast hereby often put gladness into my heart; He has not only supported and refreshed me, but filled me with joy unspeakable and full of glory; and, therefore, this is what I will still pursue, what I will seek after all the days of my life. When God puts grace in the heart he puts gladness in the heart; nor is any joy comparable to that which gracious souls have in the communications of the divine favor, no, not the joy of harvest, of a plentiful harvest, when the corn and wine increase. This is gladness in the heart, inward, solid, substantial joy. The mirth of worldly people is but a flash, a shadow; even in laughter their heart is sorrowful, (Prov. 14:13). "Thou hast given gladness in my heart;" so the word is. True joy is God’s gift, not as the world giveth. The saints have no reason to envy carnal worldlings their mirth and joy, but should pity them rather, for they may know better and will not. Let me share with you some of the ways the Lord has made me glad. He Makes Me Glad:

1. In Salvation. I am so glad I’m saved. To know the Lord in free pardon of sin makes me glad. Psalms 144:15 “Happy is the people that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord.” Matthew 19, The Rich Young Ruler went away from Christ sorrowful not knowing the Lord, but in The Gospel According to Luke 19, Zacchaeus received Him Joyfully!

Isaiah 12:3, “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.”

Judas betrayed Christ and then hanged himself in Matthew 27:5, but the two men on the road to Emmaus received Him in Luke 24 and said “Did not our heart burn within us; while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened unto us the Scriptures?”

I will be glad today for as Jesus said in Luke 10:20, not because the spirits are subject unto me, but because my “name is written in heaven.”

2. In Service. It is now my desire to live for Jesus. He makes me glad to serve Him and keep His commandments.

John 13:17 “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.”

Proverbs 29:18 “He that keepeth the Law, happy is He.”

I John 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”

3. In Supplication. When my heart has been the heaviest, and I have no abundance of external reasons to rejoice, He makes me glad through a helping power. When I am tempted, he, having himself been tempted doth know how to succor them that are being tempted (Hebrews 2:18). When I am in trouble, He brings help to make me glad again.

Psalms 146:5 “Happy is He that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.”

He still hears me, helps me, and hedges me for protection. It’s not every time that I pray that he touches me in communion, but there’s been a few times! That makes it worth going back time and again!

4. In Sanctification. The Lord makes me glad by bringing me closer to Him. This process of Sanctification moves me closer every day toward the greatness, goodness, and godliness that is Himself.

5. In Separation. I am not angry at God that He commands us to be separate, to stay away from sin. I am glad He separates me from this world.

I Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” That is not reason to be mad, that is reason to be GLAD.

II Corinthians 6:17 “Come out from among them, and be ye separate saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you!”