Joyful Worship
- Elijah McSwain
- Nov 9
- 9 min read
11/8/2025
Elijah McSwain, Sr.
Psalm 95:1-2 (NKJV) Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
Biblical worship is an expression of exaltation, adoration, praise, thanksgiving, blessing, homage, and reverence to God. God is worthy of worship because He is to be esteemed for His glorious position, being, character, power, provisions, and providential care. As Christians, our lives should be set on the spiritual barometer of worship. Worship is at the very heart of who we are. We are worshippers who honor the God of heaven and earth. We are believers who worship our Savior, the Son of God. Ed Smither wrote that “In worship human beings recognize God for his attributes and express this through adoration, praise, thanksgiving, service, and living holy lives. Worship constitutes the primary calling of humans.” 1 This is the sentiment expressed in Psalm 95:1-2, that we are invited to worship the Rock of our salvation joyfully through renditions of songs.
The Invitation To Worship
The writer of this psalm is personally a worshipper. The first verse suggests this when he invited everyone to “Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!” Worship is a personal matter for each Christian individually. It is a time to personally reflect on the greatness, majesty, splendor, holiness, and goodness of the Lord.
The psalmist’s personal flow of worship is an invitation for others to join in to sing unto the Lord.
Singing is a form of worship. It is a communal way to express homage to the Lord, cultivate unity, fellowship, display solidarity among believers, and is a congregational way to affirm biblical truths about God. Worship through singing is a significant part of congregational worship. Thus, the writer extended the invitation to his fellow believers to come together as one in vocal and musical praise to the Lord. This invitation or call to worship invited the gathered audience or parishioners to focus their attention on the Rock of their salvation.
The invitation to worship and the call to worship served as a way to redirect their focus to the One who is worthy of worship. As God’s people enter the sanctuary for worship, the Lord should be the focal point during every element of the corporate life and gathering of His followers. The author of this psalm stated that songs should be sung to the Lord.
We do not sing for the praise of others, the applause of people, for self-glorification, to seek the spotlight, or because we believe we have been gifted with the best vocal ability.
We sing to extol, celebrate, magnify, and exalt the Lord. Scripture instructs saints to sing to the Lord.
Psalm 34:3 (NKJV) proclaims, “Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.”
Psalm 66:2 (NKJV) makes known “Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious.”
Psalm 66:8 (NKJV) declares, “Oh, bless our God, you peoples! And make the voice of His praise to be heard.”
Psalm 47:7 (NKJV) announces, “For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding.”
When we gather in the house of the Lord collectively, let our focus be on revering and honoring His name, blessing His name through praise, and singing with understanding who we are singing to as well as singing about. John Risbridger claimed “The invitation to worship God is the highest privilege of human beings—a privilege squandered by sinful rebellion, but also gloriously restored to us through the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. Biblical worship is a response to God’s revelation of himself, empowered by the Holy Spirit, which finds expression in every aspect of human life and experience.” 2
Let us not squander away precious time that has been dedicated to worshipping our great God, Savior, and redeemer. As a community of believers, let’s embrace the opportunity to sing together for the splendor of the King.
The Expression of Worship
The latter part of verse one highlights the invitation to worship joyfully. Psalm 95:1 (NKJV) closes with “Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.”
Singing should not be dreadful, dull, unenthusiastic, mechanical, routine, or chaotic.
Singing should be a joyful time where we lift our voices in harmony to God. We should display gladness of heart in our singing. This should be done with sincerity of heart, not pretense. Joyful worship should not be fabricated, forced, manufactured, or dictated.
Joyful worship should naturally flow from a grateful heart. The spiritual tone, pitch, and inflection of the heart should convey joy.
Charles Spurgeon wrote, “With holy enthusiasm let us sing, making a sound which shall indicate our earnestness; with abounding joy let us lift up our voices, actuated by that happy and peaceful spirit which trustful love is sure to foster.” 3 To joyfully shout is not an unrestrained act like a madman, but rather a joyful expression that is under the control of the Spirit of God. Psalm 66:1 (NKJV) implies “Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!”
Psalm 98:4 (NKJV) affirms, “Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises."
When God’s people understand and realize who they are singing to, then joy should permeate their hearts through worship.
The penman of this psalm informed the congregation to whom their joyful countenance should be directed, “the Rock of our salvation.” The “Rock of our salvation” is a title that expresses the foundation of congregational worship. Albert Barnes mentioned the Rock of our salvation is “The strong ground of our confidence; the basis of our hope; our security.” 4 Adam Clarke commented, “The strong Fortress in which we have always found safety, and the Source whence we have always derived help for our souls.” 5 To this Hebrew audience, the Lord was a mighty fortress and a place of stability. This particular reference to the “Rock of our salvation” points to Exodus 17:1-7 and Numbers 20:1-13, where God provided water from a rock in the harsh conditions of the wilderness.
In the storyline of the Israelites’ history, they had reference points that spurred their joyful praise of God, their Savior.
God protected them as their protector.
God preserved them as their preserver.
God delivered them as their deliverer.
God made a way as their way-maker.
Therefore, they could testify through singing that the Lord was “the Rock of our salvation.”
His actions provided for them in a saving way.
Psalm 18:2 (NKJV) proclaims, “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 96:2 (NKJV) urges God’s people to “Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.” The foundation of who the Lord is and what He has done for us should inspire joyful worship and praise through song. Worship the Lord for the excellency of who He is in our lives. Praise the Lord for His mighty acts of greatness. Reflecting on the Lord will inspire joyful worship and praise. He should be the foundation of our admiration.
The Posture of Worship
The posture of every follower of God should be one of thanksgiving.
The biblical composer declared, “Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving.”
First of all, when the people of God gather jointly and communally, it is not a means to make your presence felt but to come as one collective body before His presence.
Approaching His presence with the right posture enables us to experience His presence. Congregants who enter God's presence with thanksgiving will demonstrate it through worship and praise. Psalm 100:1-5 (NKJV) A Psalm of Thanksgiving indicates, “Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.”
A thankful heart is a heart that worships. A thankful heart is a heart that praises. A thankful heart is a joyful heart. A thankful heart is a singing heart. A thankful heart is a rejoicing heart.
All believers should approach the sanctuary or house of God with an attitude and posture of gratitude.
Thanksgiving embodies gratitude and appreciation.
Are you appreciative of God? Are you grateful to God? Is your appreciation and gratitude reflected in your posture of thanksgiving through worship? Worship God with a posture that is appropriate to render praise to His name. Charles Spurgeon documented, “Everywhere God is present, but there is a peculiar presence of grace and glory into which men should never come without the profoundest reverence. We may make hold to come before the immediate presence of the Lord—for the voice of the Holy Ghost in this Psalm invites us, and when we do draw near to him we should remember his great goodness to us and cheerfully confess it. Our worship should have reference to the past as well as to the future; if we do not bless the Lord for what we have already received, how can we reasonably look for more. We are permitted to bring our petitions, and therefore we are in honour bound to bring our thanksgivings.” 3 Psalm 107:8-9 (NKJV) asserts, “Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness.” Worship is a time to show our appreciation by recognizing God’s greatness.
He has performed many gracious, merciful, kind, compassionate, and benevolent acts because He is gracious, merciful, kind, compassionate, and the benevolent God.
This and much more should inspire us to enter God’s house as a community of faith with a thankful posture. As children, when we were brought up, it was a display of proper manners to say “thank you” when someone did something for us.
All of God’s children should be thankful.
He saved us.
He rescued us.
He redeemed us.
He has kept us.
He provides for us.
He counsels us.
He consoles us.
He restores us.
He rejuvenated us.
He does everything for us.
Everything He does is connected to His various titles or names. Therefore, we should sing with thanksgiving for His wonder and inexhaustible list of names and titles.
A thankful heart leads to grateful worship and praise.
The Vocal and Musical Elements of Worship
The writer ended verse two with an invitation for his fellow brothers and sisters to offer thanksgiving through the joyful melody of psalms. The ESV translates “psalms” as songs of praise. Psalms were written compositions set to music that accompanied them. Psalms or songs of praise were sung to glorify God, exalt God, and attribute honor to Him.
Therefore, God’s people should use the lyrical expression of worship through songs. God loves to hear the tunefulness of genuine praise.
God desires that we, as the biblical writer, wrote in Hebrews 13:15 (NKJV) “by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” In simplicity, let us open our mouths as one unit to sing the glorious truth that is ascribed to our God. Psalm 105:2-3 (NKJV) advises to “Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!” Psalm 33:1 (NKJV) proclaims, “Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful.”
The song service should be uplifting as joy radiates from each believer's vocal expression.
Singing should serve as a testimony to His marvelous works. Songs should testify to His person, character, and being. Songs should be sung to tell of His wonderful salvation through Jesus at the cross.
Our singing should enhance the worship atmosphere as we joyfully, thankfully, sincerely, and reverently express our appreciation to Him.
John Gill penned, “with a melodious voice, and grace in the heart, with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; this belonging to Gospel times shows that singing of psalms vocally in a musical way is an ordinance of Christ, to be performed to him under the Gospel dispensation.” 6 Ephesians 5:19 (NKJV) states, “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” Elton Roth put pen to paper and wrote these words, “I have a song that Jesus gave me, It was sent from heav’n above, There never a sweeter melody. ‘Tis a melody of love. In my heart there rings a melody, There rings a melody with heaven’s harmony, In my heart there rings a melody of love.” 7
Joyful praise is considered acceptable worship. Joyful worship pleases God.
Joyful worship paired with a thankful heart results in praise.
People of God should praise Him joyfully, cheerfully, willingly, regularly, intentionally, and purposefully through songs. Psalm 95:1-2 (NKJV) urges every follower of God in this manner, “Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.”
Notes
1. Smither, Ed. 2018. “Worship in the Life of the Church.” In Lexham Survey of Theology, edited by Mark Ward, Jessica Parks, Brannon Ellis, and Todd Hains. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
2. Risbridger, John. 2015. The Message of Worship: Celebrating the Glory of God in the Whole of Life. Edited by Derek Tidball. The Bible Speaks Today: Bible Themes Series. Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press.
3. Spurgeon, C. H. n.d. The Treasury of David: Psalms 88-110. Vol. 4. London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers.
4. Barnes, Albert. “Commentary on Psalms 95:1”. “Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bnb/psalms-95.html. 1870.
5. Clarke, Adam. “Commentary on Psalms 95:1”. “The Adam Clarke Commentary”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/acc/psalms-95.html. 1832.
6. Gill, John. “Commentary on Psalms 95:2”. “Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/psalms-95.html. 1999.
7. The New National Baptist Hymnal. Hymn 300.