经文：你们当乐意侍奉耶和华。（诗篇100：2）

在神圣的事奉中满有喜乐，是蒙神悦纳的表徵。有一些人在事奉中愁眉苦脸，感到自己是在做一件不愉快的事，这些人其实并没有事奉神。他们有服事的外形，却没有生命。我们的神并不需要奴隶来为祂的宝座增光。祂是爱的王国之主，祂期盼服事祂的人穿着喜乐的外袍。

神的众天使是以歌声来事奉祂，而不是以呻吟叹息来事奉，一声抱怨或一声叹息就是不称职的表现。不出于自愿的服从就是不服从。主是鉴察人心的，如果祂看到我们事奉祂是出于勉强而不是因为爱祂，祂将拒绝我们所献上的。

从基督徒身上除去喜乐的意愿，亦移去了他的诚意。人若被逼去争战，那他并不是一个爱国者。带着闪耀的眼光步入战场，并且高歌：“为国牺牲是光荣的”，这人的表现证明了他爱国的心是真诚的。

喜乐是我们力量的支柱。在主里的喜乐使我们刚强，而所发生的作用能排除困难。喜乐于我们的事奉，如同润滑油之用于车辆的轮子。缺乏润滑油，不久轮轴就会发热，接着意外事故就发生了。如果缺乏属神的喜乐来润滑我们的车轮，我们的心灵很快就因疲劳而受阻碍。

在事奉神中满有喜乐的人，证实了他的生命是顺服的。他会高唱“让我行走在你的诫命里，这是条令人喜乐的道路”。

你是否乐意事奉神？世人以为我们的信仰是奴役我们的，让我们向世人表明，神是我们的喜乐，是我们的欢欣。但愿我们以喜乐向世人宣告，我们所事奉的是一位良善的主。

Scripture: “Serve the Lord with gladness.”(Psalm 100:2)

Delight in divine service is a token of acceptance. Those who serve God with a sad countenance, because they do what is unpleasant to them, are not serving him at all; they bring the form of homage, but the life is absent. Our God requires no slaves to grace his throne; he is the Lord of the empire of love, and would have his servants dressed in the livery of joy. The angels of God serve him with songs, not with groans; a murmur or a sigh would be a mutiny in their ranks. That obedience which is not voluntary is disobedience, for the Lord looketh at the heart, and if he seeth that we serve him from force, and not because we love him, he will reject our offering. Service coupled with cheerfulness is heart-service, and therefore true. Take away joyful willingness from the Christian, and you have removed the test of his sincerity. If a man be driven to battle, he is no patriot; but he who marches into the fray with flashing eye and beaming face, singing, “It is sweet for one’s country to die,” proves himself to be sincere in his patriotism. Cheerfulness is the support of our strength; in the joy of the Lord are we strong. It acts as the remover of difficulties. It is to our service what oil is to the wheels of a railway carriage. Without oil the axle soon grows hot, and accidents occur; and if there be not a holy cheerfulness to oil our wheels, our spirits will be clogged with weariness. The man who is cheerful in his service of God, proves that obedience is his element; he can sing,

“Make me to walk in thy commands,
’Tis a delightful road.”
Reader, let us put this question—do you serve the Lord with gladness? Let us show to the people of the world, who think our religion to be slavery, that it is to us a delight and a joy! Let our gladness proclaim that we serve a good Master.