A Joyful Noise

Claire Black: Welcome to True Girl, a podcast for girls and their moms. I’m Claire Black. Together, we’ll explore God’s truth for us, one drive at a time. Buckle up! You’re about to grow closer to each other and closer to Jesus!

Everybody knows you’re supposed to give thanks and show gratitude to God. But have you ever wondered, Why is it so important? or What if I’m having a hard day and I don’t feel grateful? or even, What if expressing gratitude makes me look silly in front of my friends?

If that’s you, then you’re in the right place, because this season of the True Girl podcast is called “Gates of Gratitude.” Dannah Gresh and Staci Rudolph are exploring Psalm 100, one verse at a time. It’s a psalm all about thanksgiving. We’ll dig into some of your hard questions.

But first, let me read Psalm 100, verses 1–5. 

Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth!
   Worship the , with gladness.
   Come before him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the LORD is God!
   He made us, and we are his.
   We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
   go into his courts with praise.
   Give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the LORD is good.
   His unfailing love continues forever,
   and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

Each verse of this short psalm paints a picture of what thankfulness looks like—and even how to handle some of those questions I mentioned. Sometimes gratitude is quiet and reflective. Other times it’s a little louder. Today on Dannah’s farm, gratitude might sound a little different than you’re used to.

Staci Rudolph: Ahhh, this is nice.

Thanks for having this spicy hot cocoa ready for me! It’s really hitting the spot.

Dannah Gresh: Of course, Staci. Although, I know you’re a fan of a little bit of heat, but I didn’t know spice was meant for hot chocolate! 

Staci: You are so right. I just LOVE anything with a little kick to it! And this . . . ah . . . is a true delicacy!

Dannah: Well, I’ll have to take your word for it and stick to finishing my bubble tea. I love the boba!

Staci: This is the perfect way to end a long day of traveling back. After four flights, three layovers, two lost snacks, and one very puffy ankle later; we made it home! And this is just what I needed: a nice, quiet evening with you, Moose, and . . .

[Napoleon the peacock calls loudly]

Staci: WHAT in the world was that?!

Dannah: That was Napoleon, my peacock. He’s right above your head in his favorite tree!

Staci: Well, look at that, there he is. My heart is racing! Anyway . . . as I was saying, I love being on the Gresh farm. Where it’s peaceful and qui . . .

[Cassie the donkey brays loudly, interrupting]

Staci: Seriously? Now what?

Dannah: That would be Cassie, my mini donkey. She doesn’t like that Napoleon steals the spotlight, I guess. Or, maybe she’s hungry.

Staci: Oh boy. Between the peacock and the donkey, “quiet” might not be on the agenda tonight.

[Napoleon and Cassie continue to call out together]

Staci: You know, they actually sound pretty good together. We should make a band!

Dannah: Oh, now that would be something, Staci. Napoleon would definitely demand to be the lead singer.

Staci: Cassie would be good on backup vocals—with her deep soulful bray.

Dannah: And Moose—he could keep rhythm with his tail. Instant percussion section.

Staci: We could call them “The Joyful Noise”! I’d totally buy their first album.

Dannah: That is a fabulous name! I really do enjoy listening to them . . . and listening to the rest of the choir:

[Crickets, a frog croaks, owl hoot]

They do sound joyful, almost like they’re praising their Creator! It reminds me of Psalm 100:1. It says, “Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.” I would say the critters on the Gresh farm certainly qualify as “all the earth.”

Staci: Do you think God actually likes all the noise?

Dannah: I think He does. He made them, and they’re definitely making a joyful noise. But that really points us to something important: gratitude.

Staci: Gratitude. How’d we get from joyful noises to gratitude?

Dannah: Well, Psalm 100 is actually about gratitude. Gratitude is not about being polite or refined. It’s more about. Well, I’d define gratitude like this: choosing to recognize God’s goodness and respond with joy. 

Staci: Oooh short, punchy, and easy to remember. I like it! 

Dannah: Gratitude is really a uniquely Christian response. Anyone can say thanks for something, but gratitude, that’s something deeper. It’s rooted in God Himself. It’s about His presence, not something He’s done for you or given you. It’s just about Him.

That’s why gratitude often begins with worship. When we lift our voices—even off-key—it helps us remember His goodness. It’s an outward expression that brings us to remember who Jesus is, and actually, it helps us remember who we are. 

Staci: So gratitude’s about showing joy to God.

Dannah: Yes! Gratitude can look like singing, clapping, laughing, shouting—it’s letting your whole life be a joyful noise to the Lord.

Staci: But, Dannah, here’s the thing. I have a letter from a True Girl here. Let me read it.

Dear Dannah and Staci:

I love God. But sometimes it feels embarrassing to praise God. Do you ever feel shy to worship when your friends are around? Or even worse . . . strangers! What if they think I’m crazy!?

Please write back!

Bella

Dannah: Oh, really good question, Bella! In fact, it’s such a good question, we decided to make this podcast to answer it.

 And yes, I’ve felt that way. 

Staci: Me too!

Dannah: For sure. I was flying home from the True Woman event a few weeks ago, and I had my True Girl Bible nerd hat on—the one from the subscription box. And, well, let’s just say I felt awkward when a woman asked me, “What’s a Bible nerd?”

I should have beamed with joy. But my first thought was, Oh, no! What if she thinks I’m really weird. I ended up saying, “I’m a Bible nerd because I love my Bible.” And guess what? She told me she did, too!

Staci: That’s cool. But I know what you mean about wondering if it’ll be awkward.

Let’s look at a story in the Bible where someone worshiped Jesus in a way that shocked everyone. It helps me when my worship is shy. Dannah, would you mind reading Luke 7:36–48 for us? 

Dannah: Of course! Luke 7:36–48:

One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat. When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume.

Staci: Okay, pause for a second. This isn’t just a little bottle of Bath & Body Works lotion. That alabaster jar of perfume was extremely valuable—worth about a year’s wages. And in those days, women often saved it as part of their dowry. A dowry was a gift—like money or animals or perfume—that a bride’s family gave when she got married to help the new couple start their life together. So this bottle represented her future and security.

Dannah: This wasn’t just a random gift. It was basically her whole savings account?

Staci: Exactly. And what she does next shows how much she valued Jesus over everything else.

Dannah: Let’s keep reading the story.

Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them. 

Dannah: Wait! Every time I read this story, I’m like: she wiped His feet with her HAIR?! That had to look so awkward . . . not to mention, messy!

Staci: Yes, and that’s what makes it so powerful. She didn’t care how she looked. Her gratitude for Jesus was louder than her embarrassment.

Keep reading!

Dannah:  

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!" 

Staci: And there it is. Judgment. Everyone thought she didn’t belong at that party. But Jesus wasn’t offended by her. He welcomed her.

Dannah:

Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.

Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied. 

Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”

Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.” 

“That’s right,” Jesus said. 

Staci: So, let’s think about what Jesus was saying. One person owed 500 pieces of silver. That would’ve been worth about $21,000 today.

Dannah: Whoa. That’s a ton of money. With that, I could buy like . . . more than 1,500 Squishmallows for me and my friends!

Staci: Exactly! Now, the other person only owed 50 silver pieces—about $2,100. Still quite a lot of money, but nowhere near the same amount.

Dannah: Okay, wait. So if we put this in “squishmallow-debt terms,” one person owed you 700 squishmallows, and the other only owed 70.

Staci: Right. And imagine if I forgave both debts. I said, “Don’t worry about paying me back.” Who do you think would be more grateful?

Dannah: Uh, the person who didn’t have to sew, buy, or smuggle 700 squishmallows into your house! That’s a LOT of fluffy debt.

Staci: Exactly. And that’s the point Jesus was making. The woman at the dinner party knew her “debt” of sin was huge, and she was overwhelmed with gratitude because she knew how much Jesus had forgiven her.

Keep reading, Dannah!

Dannah:

Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Wow! That was one brave woman! 

Staci: She sure was! But more importantly, she wasn’t paying any attention to the Pharisee’s and what they thought of her. She was so overcome with who Jesus was and that despite all she had done, He loved her. Pretty much everything else (including the opinion of others) just completely melted away. 

Dannah: So she saw her need for Jesus and her gratitude became way louder than her embarrassment.

Staci: Yup. And in her outpouring of gratitude, Jesus honored her. He told her that her sins were forgiven and her faith had saved her.

Dannah: So powerful. If she could worship Jesus when everyone was judging her, then maybe we can worship Him—even if we’re unsure of how people will perceive us. 

Staci: Yes. Gratitude sometimes looks silly or awkward to others, but to Jesus it’s beautiful.

Dannah: So true! When I feel uncomfortable because of how I might look, I can be like that woman. Courageous enough to tell Jesus exactly how grateful I am for all He’s done for me. 

Staci: Exactly, that’s the thing. Worship isn’t about impressing people. It’s about expressing gratitude to Jesus. Even if your voice cracks, even if your friends notice—it’s about Him.

Dannah: Well, Cassie and Napoleon don’t seem to care if anyone has opinions about how they sound. I think if they can do it, we can too.

Staci: That’s right! But, we need to help teach our brains how to do it. Just like riding a bike or playing an instrument, we need to practice.

Dannah: So, bottom line—don’t let embarrassment shut down your gratitude AND practice, practice, practice.

Staci: But how do we practice gratitude? 

Dannah: Well, how about we start with making a joyful noise this week? A joyful noise is a grateful heart turned up loud!

This week, spend some time worshiping with your mom. Focus on the words and what they mean to you over how you sound. What matters is that you lift your voice to God together.

Staci: And if you need courage, ask God for help! Pray a simple prayer like, “God help me have courage. Let my gratitude for You and what You’ve done for me be bigger than what my friends think of me!” 

And remember Cassie and Napoleon. If they can make a very loud joyful noise, then so can you.

[Napoleon and Cassie make a few staggering calls]

Staci: See! 

Dannah: Staci, would you pray for us? Pray that we are brave in our gratitude this week. That we take the first step in teaching our brains how to be grateful and that God would open our eyes to the countless ways He has helped us. 

Staci: I would love to! 

God, I pray that this week, we will shout with joy to You. 

I thank You for Bella, her honesty to write and share how it sometimes feels awkward to praise God in front of others. 

I pray that You would give her and every True Girl the courage to praise You in front of anyone who is watching.

We love You Lord, and we thank You for everything You’ve done for us. In Your name we pray, Amen. 

Dannah: Amen! 

Staci: Now, Dannah, before we go to bed, I need to ask, “Are they going to be doing this all night?” I know they’re making a joyful noise and all, but I don’t think I packed my earplugs! 

Dannah: Don’t worry, this is the nightly finale before they tuck themselves tightly into bed.

[Napoleon calls faintly in the distance, Cassie brays once more in the distance, then gentle farm sounds fade in.]

Staci: Phew! Now that’s music to my ears! 

Claire: True Girl, gratitude begins with a joyful noise. Even Napoleon the peacock and Cassie the donkey remind us that all creation was made to worship . . . and you’re no exception. 

This week, don’t let embarrassment or fear keep you quiet. Pray for courage, and practice worshiping, along with your mom. Let both your voices rise together as a joyful noise to the Lord!

If you want more help learning about gratitude, right now the True Girl subscribers are enjoying this month's Gratitude Box. It’ll give you a mom-daughter date plan on the topic of being thankful, daily devos for sixty days, and so much more. Learn more at MyTrueGirl.com.

Come back next week when Dannah and Staci plan to hike Mt. Nittany. Will they be able to make a “joyful noise” even if things don’t go as they planned?

The True Girl Podcast is produced by Revive Our Hearts, calling women of all ages to freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ.

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