Joy and Gladness Failure
I run across people all the time who claim to be all in and serving God but do it with such a lack of joy and gladness. This makes me consider how much joy and gladness actually play in our service to God and our savior Jesus Christ. If we are serving God with a lack of joy and gladness in our heart are we actually serving Him? Probably not. We are only serving ourselves and there is no joy and gladness found in self-serving.
Refusing to serve and failing to serve God are serious offenses. One thing God will not tolerate is the neglect of our duty. We must not neglect our responsibility that our service is for Him. If we fail to serve God—if we neglect our duty—we will face the terrifying judgment of God.
Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things, therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness, and lacking everything. And he will put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you. —Deuteronomy 28:47-48
In this passage Moses began to warn the people against failing to serve God. If they failed to serve Him then a series of horrible curses would fall upon them. The Sovereign Creator of the universe expects to be served. Therefore, it is the height of folly to refuse to serve the Lord God Almighty. Rejecting Him and His call to service will cause curse after curse to come upon a person, a barrage of horrible calamities.
Moses declared that failing to serve God would result in serving various enemies. And the enemies would bring curse after curse upon the head of a person or nation who failed to serve God. The curses brought about by the enemy are the worst curses imaginable. If you continue reading down through verse 57 you can see how serious God is in His expectation of serving Him with joyfulness and gladness.
We should all consider our attitude and motives as we serve God. May our endeavors be to do it with joyfulness and gladness.
