Read
Psalm 100
Consider
One of the privileges of Christ followers is to serve our God, our Lord and Savior. The Psalmist said in Psalm 100:1-2 “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before Him with joyful songs.”
Some translations translate the word “Worship” as “Serve”. We should come before our Lord with joy and gladness and sing and serve with our joyful hearts. Singing is not a self-enjoyment act but a joyful expression of who God is (Praise) and what God has done in our lives (Thanksgiving). In other psalms, psalmist said singing a new song. A new song probably is not just a new melody but new lyrics and stories to give thanks to what God has done in our lives. Everyone should have new stories of what God had done in their lives as God always works in our lives. It is our pleasure to find out what exactly they are. Psalmist gave us few reasons in Psalm 100:3 why we should joyfully sing and serve our Lord.
Know that the Lord is God
If we acknowledge God is God, we acknowledge He is in control and has the best in store for us. There will be times we are going through troubles and challenges, acknowledging God is the sovereign God will give us peace and joy to live. On the other hand, if we are trying to control our destiny with our limited wisdom and knowledge, we will always feel anxious and lost the joy of our everyday life.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
I still remember the kid’s song with lyrics “God made me, God made me, I am so glad that God made me”. We should be glad that God made me. Not only “God made me fingers and God made my toes”, but God made us with His purpose for our lives. One of the bigger questions in humanity is “What is the purpose of life?”. With God our creator, we are rest assured that we still have peace and joy amid the uncertainly because we know that God is revealing His plan to us in His timing. Our role is to walk closely with Him.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture
We are God’s people and God is our Lord of our life. God is a God of covenant, and He will keep promises to His people. He is a provider of our lives and in Him, we lack of nothing. Imagine children in the household never have to worry anything as the loving and gracious parents always provide what they need. It is the same God will do to His people. The Psalmist at the end said,
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
Our God is good and faithful.
Look forward to worshipping with you this Sunday.
Rev. Julian Wong
Pray
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for being my God, my creator, my King and my shepherd. I humbly come before you with thanksgiving and praise as you are the only One I trust.
Lord, please give me the courage to navigate the challenges in life as you are the sovereign God who is in control. May the peace and joy of the Spirit dwells in me when I face the uncertainty. May you give me the discerning hearts and minds to experience His provision. I praise God for who You are.
In Jesus name, I pray, Amen.
Diving Deeper
Write a new “Song” to God. It means examine the most recent encounter with God. Write a paragraph to give thanks to God.
Are you serving with joy? Why or why not? Tell your honest answer to God
What areas are you serving God with most joy?
How can we live closer WITH GOD in our lives?
How are we being TRANSFORMED to be more like Christ?
How is the Holy Spirit empowering us to imitate Christ in what we DO this week?