Psalm 106:1-3 
Praise the LORD! 
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! 
His faithful love endures forever. 
Who can list the glorious miracles of the LORD? 
Who can ever praise him enough? 
There is joy for those who deal justly with others 
and always do what is right. (NLT)

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Do the right thing always, no matter how hard. This is the pathway of joy. 

Why do we praise God for who he is? Because he is good. His goodness is perfect. There is no hint of badness in him, his will, or his ways. 

Why do we praise God for who he is? Because his faithful love endures forever. He loves us as much on our worst day as on our best. His love is not limited by our obedience, but instead completely shapes his every thought, action, and response. 

Why do we praise God for who he is? Because the best outcomes of our lives come from living in alignment with his truth and grace. The pathway of joy is handcrafted by God’s justice and righteousness. Doing the right thing, no matter how hard, is the way to joy. It is the joyful way. It is not always Ha-Ha Happy, but it is always deeply satisfying and richly rewarding.

Formed and reformed by God’s goodness and love, we become joyful people, joy-carrying people, people who leave all things better than we found them. We build relationships that hunger for more of God’s goodness and faithful love. We build relationships that produce more joy.

Our soon-to-be three-year-old granddaughter has discovered the special treat that is Saturday. Ask her during the workweek about something good she is looking forward to, and she will likely tell you how she will experience that “on Saturday.”

It’s Saturday. Today is the joyful day you have been looking forward to. Indulge yourself in God’s goodness. Luxuriate in his faithful love. Experience and express his unending joy today. And, as we learn to live like this habitually, we can turn every day into Saturday.

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I will do what is just and right, no matter how hard.

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Our Father, empower us to live from a firm conviction of justice and righteousness. Use our lives to produce overflowing joy. Make us the kind of people who carry Saturday in our hearts every other day. Amen.