Joyfulness a Christian Duty
R. W. Dale, D. D. Psalm 68:4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rides on the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him. It is necessary for some people to remember that cheerfulness, good spirits, lightheartedness, merriment, are not unchristian or unsaintly. We do not please God more by eating bitter aloes than by eating honey. A cloudy, foggy, rainy day is not more heavenly than a day of sunshine. A funeral march is not so much like the music of angels as the songs of birds on a May morning. There is no more religion in the gaunt, naked forest in winter than in the laughing blossoms of the spring and the rich, ripe fruits of autumn. It was not the pleasant things in the world that came from the devil and the dreary things from God; it was "sin brought death into the world and all its woe"; as the sin vanishes the woe will vanish too. God Himself is the ever blessed God. He dwells in the light of joy as well as of purity, and instead of becoming more like Him as we become more miserable, and as all the brightness and glory of life are extinguished, we become more like God as our blessedness becomes more complete. (R. W. Dale, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him. WEB: Sing to God! Sing praises to his name! Extol him who rides on the clouds: to Yah, his name! Rejoice before him!