Opening Prayer
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for opening a way for us into your Father’s house so that we can enter with joy to worship you.
Read PSALM 100
Psalm 100
A psalm. For giving grateful praise.
1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his[a];
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Footnotes
- Psalm 100:3 Or and not we ourselves
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
‘Joy to the world! The Lord is come.’1 We receive him, acknowledge his goodness, and give him thanks that his coming sets us free for joy.
Think Further
We live in a messy and often painful world. Personally and communally, we face the trauma of loss, the disappointment of unfaithfulness, the senselessness of violence, and the unfairness of injustice. They cause us deep anxiety, frustration, and despondency. The psalms do not ignore this aspect of life: they provide us with words to express our troubled mindset. However, they also recognize that lamenting and soul-searching need to be counterbalanced by a heart of joy. Not a manufactured, forced joy, but one that arises from reflecting on the gratitude we owe to God. Psalm 100 calls us to a joyful response, without hesitation or reluctance.
There are reasons to shout and sing, to be glad and thankful. Everyone (‘all the earth,’ v. 1) can and should join the chorus. No one should be left out of this joyous celebration. After all, the darker side of life does not mean we are victims of fate and inexplicable forces. There is a God and he is the covenant-making Lord who creates people and makes them his own. Our universe is not some impersonal place, meaningless and random, with us as insignificant bags of molecules that have a brief and lonely stay. The God who made it also tends it, like a good shepherd caring for each of his flock. We derive our identity and value from the one who has proved to be ‘good’ (v. 5), one who has patiently stuck with us in faithful love. Even the rough times are interpreted through this lens of goodness, knowing that there is a bigger purpose at work. Jesus expressed his desire that we know his joy and that our joy may be complete.2 That joy starts with the words, ‘I have loved you.’3
Apply
What truly brings you joy? Give thanks to God as the giver of every good gift and for the joy he brings. How can you share this joy with others?
Closing prayer
Lord God, help me to be more attuned to all that you do for me and to respond with gratitude in ways that proclaim your goodness to those around me.
Last Updated on July 14, 2024 by kingstar
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